A New Hunter to the Eternal Nightmare
by Lazboy101
Summary: A hunter must hunt. Having completed her contract the Good Hunter meets with Gehrman at the foot of the Great Tree, but things don't go according to plan. Making a deal with the devil the Good Hunter must figure out how to slay Remnant's 'eternal' nightmare. There may be no blood plague, but that doesn't mean the Hunter's job is any easier.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or Bloodborne**

Chapter 1

The night is darkest just before the dawn, and the new dawn was coming. The old hunter had been in this never-ending cycle far longer than he cared to remember. A long night would torture a poor hunter's soul before eventually ending then starting anew. Whether they were able to see the light of day again would depend solely on their survival. Not their physical survival of course, but their mental survival. One hunter that had passed through the dream even went on to say that there is nothing worse than a hunt, add on the call of the beast blood, and the night can simply be too much for most.

Gehrman, the first hunter of the workshop, tasked with guiding new hunters in the Hunter's Dream to fulfill whatever contract they had been given, knew that there were many different types of hunters that stalked the streets of Yharnam. Most of them shared certain traits or desires. The most common of them being a desire to end the hunt and get away from this dreaded city. Gehrman himself wished for nothing more than freedom from his eternal curse.

As he sat atop the hill of flowers he thought of the hunter of this specific night. A hunter whose contract seemed to be all but finished. A strange lass she was, even by hunter standards.

The old hunter's musings were cut short as he heard the doll approaching.

"The good hunter will soon return. It appears she has successfully fulfilled her contract." Said a completely emotionless, yet soft voice.

"Well then you know what to do when she gets back. Tell her that I will be waiting." He said without looking towards her.

"Of course." She said as she walked off leaving Gehrman alone once more in the field of flowers.

Eventually the hunter stood before Gehrman and bowed politely.

"Stand up straight. There's no reason to bow to me." He said before shaking his head slightly. "Good Hunter you have done well, the night is near its end with the coming dawn. Now I will show you mercy. You will die, forget the dream, and awake under the morning sun. You will be freed from this terrible Hunter's Dream." He said the same thing every time before he sent them off.

The hunter just shook her head slightly. "Gehrman… will the dream continue to exist after I am gone?" She asked softly.

"Yes, the dream will still exist along with the doll and myself." He answered. Truly the dream itself, the doll, and himself were the only constants for as long as he'd been there.

"And I take it another hunter will come along after me?" She asked again slightly wearing on the old hunter's patience.

"That is how it usually works. Each new night brings a new hunter to the dream." The first hunter said as he looked at her. "Now submit your life, so that you may awaken from this Hunter's Dream."

"I would like to make another contract." She said firmly surprising the old hunter. None of the other hunters who came through the dream ever wished to stay longer than they had to.

"I'm afraid that isn't possible. No hunter has ever stayed in the dream after their contract is finished." He said slowly standing up. "If you don't wish to submit then it looks like tonight Gehrman will join the hunt."

The hunter took a step back. She knew he might not like the idea, but to get up and say something like that… "Gehrman please listen I just wish to continue the hunt and slay another nightmare if necessary. I don't want to fight you if I don't have to." She had slain two over the course of the night, although one didn't have to do with her contract.

Gehrman just looked at her as he felt the power of the dream fill his body. "If you just submitted and let me free you then this would be so much simpler." He said drawing his Burial Blade and Blunderbuss.

The hunter sighed to herself, but she had been prepared for something like this. In her right hand was the Blade of Mercy and in her left was the Evelyn. Despite her… handicap she still survived the night and hunt through strong insight and her proficiency in the arcane arts, so she was more than ready when she felt the power of the dream flowing into the old hunter.

The hunters dashed at each other blades going back and forth, trying to land any substantial damage, but they seemed to be at a stalemate. Gehrman lifted the nose of his blunderbuss and fired it at the hunter knocking her back, and then in a single fluid motion extended the Burial Blade into its scythe form.

When the younger hunter had recovered, she saw Gehrman looking like he was about to lunge at her. When he did so she lifted Evelyn and fired it staggering the old man out of his lunge. Seeing the familiar position, the young hunter went in to capitalize, but soon saw the blunderbuss back in his other hand.

She narrowly rolled out of the way of the shot then felt his presence behind her, but she didn't move quick enough and was knocked away by the Burial Blade back in its sword form. When she stood again, she was mildly aware of the gash in her side and decided it would be best to stay as healthy as possible against the old hunter.

Some of the blood gems she'd found in the labyrinth… only fools would use them.

Pushing that thought to the back of her mind she pulled out a blood vial and injected it into herself feeling the uncomfortably familiar pain before it sealed her wound.

After another moment of the two circling each other the hunter decided to holster Evelyn and split the Blades of Mercy apart holding one in each hand. 'A more aggressive plan might be helpful here.' She thought as she activated the old hunter's bone.

Gehrman had also activated his quickening ability. The two hunters blurred towards and around each other. Gehrman materialized first and brought his blade up in a slightly overexaggerated arc before slashing to where he thought she would be. Unfortunately for the first hunter, his prey was faster than he had given her credit for. She appeared behind him and started unleashing a flurry of quick attacks on his back making him grunt in pain.

The next thing the young hunter knew was that she had been knocked back by something. Focusing back on her opponent she felt even more power being drawn into his body and his form started to glow brighter.

'This might make things more difficult.' She thought with a frown.

When she saw him move again it was easy to tell he was faster than before and had already switched the Burial Blade back to its scythe form. The next thing she knew he had jumped into the air and was about to come back down at her, but she had seen attacks like this before. Specifically, from an old executioner.

Putting the blades of mercy back together she palmed something from inside her bag and waited for the right moment. Right before he was about to reach her, she held out and focused onto the item in her hand. When she did tentacles shot out of her hand and completely stopped the approaching hunter's attack leaving him in a kneeling positioning.

Not wanting to miss another opportunity she quick-stepped towards the still downed hunter and reared her hand back before shoving it into his chest, and then ripping it back out sending blood and some guts everywhere.

Though the power of the dream was still supporting him it didn't look like he was hanging on by much if the ragged and pained breathing was anything to go by.

He slowly got back to his feet to see the other hunter holding her hands together in the air. The air around her shimmering white.

His eyes widened in realization when he saw the light burst outward in all directions. He did his best to avoid the arcane attack, but with the injuries he had already sustained, he wasn't able to avoid all the homing-like attacks.

As much as she didn't want to do it, she had learned many times the fate that awaited her if she were to hesitate. With that in mind she dashed towards the man again as he slowly stood up from the attack. In a fluid movement, she attacked while splitting the blades again then stabbed them straight to where his heart was.

"The night, and the dream, were long…" He muttered as his body fell to the ground one last time.

"I never wanted to fight you like we did, but you didn't want to listen to my request, or maybe you couldn't." She said as she looked to something that didn't disappear along with the rest of his body. She found the Old Hunter Badge in the hands of one of the messengers who was trying to hand it to her. She took the badge and added it to the others, and then she looked down to the Burial Blade still laying on the ground. With a sad smile she bent down and picked it up before disassembling it back into the folded staff and sword.

"I hope that like Lady Maria your spirit may finally find peace." She said softly.

She then turned towards the moon. If she remembered right, the doll had called the moon Flora. "Flora! I wish to make a deal!" She shouted out at the moon.

Hearing the call and having watched the fight in the first place the being known as Flora revealed itself to the young hunter.

The moon is usually described as beautiful or awe inspiring, but the being that appeared in front of her was anything but. It wasn't as horrifying as the One Reborn or the Brain of Mensis, but the creature was quite the opposite of the moon she was said to represent.

Similar to the other Great Ones Flora was not a perfect being. If Great Ones were actually perfect creatures, then they wouldn't fall to the likes of mortals like the Good Hunter.

Despite her desire to replace the old guardian of the dream with his slayer she was intrigued by the young huntress, and without any more nightmares in Yharnam there wasn't truly a need for another guardian just yet.

Flora didn't like speaking in the human tongue at all, but curiosity got the best of her. "Hunter… what deal could a mortal like you offer me…?" The cold raspy voice sounded like it was coming from everywhere in the dreamscape.

"It wasn't my intent when I came to speak with Gehrman, but he has fallen, and I would like to continue the Hunt connected to the Dream. Meanwhile you need a new guardian for this dreamscape to guide future hunters. If you allow me to continue the Hunt without severing my ties to the Hunter's Dream, then I will take over where Gehrman left off." She said with confidence. She knew she was almost literally making a deal with the devil in this situation, but she didn't think she could go back to how she was living prior to her arrival in Yharnam, and deep down she knew she didn't want to.

"Why do you want to continue this Hunt? No sane individual would commune with one of us for something like this." The voice said again.

"A hunter must hunt. If I am to keep up the hunt, I wish to do it while still connected to the Dream." She answered.

"Why do you hunt? Is it for Yharnam? Its people? Simply to fulfill your own bloodlust?"

The hunter thought for a moment before sighing. "Lying would be counter-productive in this situation, so I won't. I hold no love for Yharnam or its people. As an outsider I was already shunned, and eventually despised when I became a hunter. It isn't for the sake of fulfilling the thirst of the beast blood inside of me either. The bloodlust can be dangerous if left unchecked, but I have grown accustomed to it throughout the night. No, the reason I came to Yharnam was to cure my sickness with the so-called miracle blood, but deep down I had hoped it might be able to help with my condition as well, and while the blood itself didn't help the condition, the Hunt allowed me to adapt to my situation. If I were to leave and forget the Dream, then I would probably regress to how I was before." The Hunter answered. "So, the answer to your question is I wish to stay because of my own selfishness."

'What an interesting creature this one is.' Flora mused. "And what if I were to chain your spirit here like I did with the old man? Forever preventing you from returning to the waking world."

"The pieces of a Great One's Umbilical Cord have granted me a stronger insight, and by consuming all the pieces I believe I have the ability to match your will should you try that. It is only a theory that entered my mind after I consumed the last one, but we could test it if that is what you truly desire." She said straightening her stance.

'… Gehrman's last thoughts were right; this hunter is definitely different than the others that have passed through the dream.' "No there's no need… I can sense it inside of you… Yharnam and her people no longer need a hunter like you, but there is another place you could hunt… The moon there was destroyed millennia ago and has been in its own nightmare since. The beasts you will find won't be like the ones in Yharnam, but you'll figure that out on your own." Flora said.

"A place with a destroyed moon? Are you telling me this is another world you're sending me to?" The hunter asked not having thought of a possibility like this.

"Another world that is similar to this one in a different plane of existence." The Great One answered.

'That's right… The Hunter's Dream is just one example of another plane. It is connected to Yharnam, but…' The hunter thought looking out to the far-off pillars that inhabit the dreamscape. 'Is it possible that those pillars are like this one, but lead to different places? Different 'planes of existence'?'

"This is the opportunity I am giving you mortal. With that world's shattered moon my presence isn't as strong, but if there is a moon then my presence is there. Do you accept this contract to slay the seemingly eternal nightmare while keeping watch over that dream?" The Moon Presence asked.

It was what she asked for, yes, but in a way she never imagined. "I would like for the doll to accompany me to this new dream. I can't help the new hunters in the way that she can, and you said that a hunter like me isn't needed in this dream, so is it right to assume you no longer need the doll here?" She asked.

"Very well. The Plain Doll will await you in that dream, but if you wish to visit the dream you will need to make your own lanterns. Gehrman made the ones in Yharnam, so it is your responsibility to make the ones over there." Flora said before drawing in a large amount of energy. "Do not expect this kindness again, and do not disappoint me." Was the last thing the young hunter heard before everything went white.

 _Line Break_

"So, what were the details of this 'special' mission the headmaster wanted us to go on exactly?" A girl with long flowing blonde hair asked her teammates.

"I was actually wondering the same thing. You didn't exactly tell us what we were looking for just that this was a special mission the headmaster assigned us." A black-haired girl added on.

"Oh right oops." A girl with black hair that ended in red said rubbing the back of her head. "Professor Ozpin wanted us to check into a strange disturbance that came from the Emerald Forest." She said.

"Rubes that didn't really tell us what we were looking for here?" The blonde said. She was the girl's older sister named Yang.

"Yang, Blake, be patient and give her a chance to tell us. Now Ruby go on." A white-haired girl said masking her own dwindling patience.

(I'm not sure why I'm talking about their hair rather than just saying who they are since most people reading this probably already know who they are.)

"Thanks Weiss!" Ruby said happily. "Now as I was about to say, the headmaster said that a large energy signature was detected over there and then disappeared within like, seconds, so he is sending us out to see if we can find any traces of whatever caused it."

"So, in other words we have no idea what we're looking for." Yang summed up.

Ruby held up a finger to protest, but then paused. "Yes." She admitted looking down.

"Alright then… when was the energy signature detected?" Weiss asked.

"He said it was early this morning around sunrise. He wanted to send a search party quickly but had to put everything together and make it into a mission for… legal purposes I guess." Ruby said with a shrug.

It hadn't actually taken that long seeing as it was around noon, but it still took longer than the headmaster probably would've liked.

The intercom of the bullhead they were riding in came to life. "We have reached the drop point. We will stay in the area, so just radio in for pick-up or emergency evac." The voice of the pilot rang out.

Nodding to the rest of her team Ruby stood up and opened the side of the bullhead. They were hovering a few feet off the ground, but the distance wasn't too great. Jumping first Ruby hit the ground and looked around. Based on the thuds behind her she knew her teammates were behind her.

"Alright guys according to the location marked on the map we need to go a few hundred feet north of here." Ruby said before putting away her scroll.

RWBY quietly made their way through the clearing where they had landed and into the thicket of trees that were common for the Emerald Forest.

After walking for another minute or so, they reached the area marked on their scrolls. What they saw made them freeze. Out in a clearing surrounded by disintegrating bodies of Grimm was a lone figure with its back to them.

 _The Hunter_

The young hunter had just recently woken up with a massive headache and was then assaulted by strange wolf-like beasts. They were like the scourge beasts but had what appeared to be bone plates on the outside of their bodies that were used for protection.

The beasts were rather disappointing. There might have been ten or so of them, but they ran about and attacked without any coordination, so defeating them was simple for the hunter.

'Damn it Flora…' She thought as she held her still aching head. After a minute or so she felt the presence of four individuals coming her way. Young by the feel of it, much too young to be hunters, but then she remembered what Flora had said about the whole different world thing, so anything was possible.

'An eternal nightmare huh? If that's the case, then these might be hostiles.' She thought as she brought out the Burial Blade and her Evelyn. 'It appears that I still have the things I had on me from the dream.' She thought looking herself over, and then checking her supplies in the pouch that seemed to hold just about anything. She had long stopped questioning the weird impossibilities that came from the dream.

 _With RWBY_

Team RWBY wasn't quite sure what they were looking at. The figure in the clearing had their back to them, but they could see a gray coat with a small half-cape around the shoulders. The top of the figure's head was wrapped in bandages hiding away any hair they might have. The figure also seemed to be wearing clawed gauntlets. Speaking of the hands, one held a crescent shaped sword while the other held a pistol of some kind. Ending off the look the figure had on boots that were of similar coloring to its coat.

The members of Team RWBY were curious about what a person would be doing alone this deep in the forest.

"You four can come out now." The figure said. It sounded soft and distinctly feminine.

Slowly RWBY walked out from the tree line they had been standing in.

"U-um hi there! Are you lost out here alone?" Ruby asked nervously.

The hunter turned her head towards the approaching teens making them freeze in their tracks. The bandages completely covered her eyes, but it still felt like they were prey being sized up. Which wasn't completely inaccurate.

"What do you kids want?" She asked completely turning towards the group, holstering the Evelyn, and attaching the Burial Blade to her right hip. She already saw they were nervous and having her weapons out didn't help.

"We're just huntresses-in-training on a mission. We saw you standing out here and wanted to see if you were alright." Ruby said quickly. The voice may've sounded soft, but there was an underlying edge to it that had the group nervous.

'Huntress? Is that what they call hunters here?' She thought to herself. "If you wouldn't mind would you tell me where I currently am?" She asked.

"It might be easier to see where you are if your eyes weren't covered." Yang muttered before being elbowed by her partner.

Unfortunately, the hunter heard the comment and focused on the blonde brawler.

Yang already didn't like this situation. When the woman in front of them turned her 'gaze' directly on her she couldn't help the shivers that raced through her naturally warm body.

"I don't judge you based on your rather inappropriate attire, so you'd do well to not judge the attire of another." The hunter said coldly.

"Sorry about her." Ruby apologized regaining the hunter's attention. "And we are in the Emerald Forest. Do you need help getting somewhere?" She offered.

The hunter thought about the offer. She could stay here and wander aimlessly trying to find more beasts or perhaps the materials needed to create a lantern, or she could accept the offer and learn more about where she was. They had said they were in training, so that could mean a junior workshop or perhaps a school. Why they would train children to take up the unsavory title of hunter she couldn't fathom, but that was a thought for later. For now, she needed to figure out where she was.

"You called yourselves Huntresses-in-training did you not?" She asked receiving a nod from Ruby. "Are you training in a workshop or perhaps a school?" She asked receiving another nod.

"Yep we're students at Beacon Academy." Ruby said proudly.

"An academy then." She muttered as she looked the group over once more.

Blake heard what the woman had muttered but tensed up when she felt the 'eyes' of the woman on her, or specifically her bow.

'Interesting… maybe there is a plague here like that of Yharnam's, but the others don't seem to mind or perhaps they aren't aware of the extra set of ears on the black-haired girl's head. It might be best to observe for now since she shows no other symptoms.' The hunter thought before looking back to the apparent leader of the group. "What are your names?"

"I'm Ruby leader of Team RWBY. Yes, it does get confusing." She clarified before continuing with the introductions. "These are my teammates Weiss, Blake, and my sister Yang. What's your name?"

The hunter thought for a moment. She hadn't used her name at all on the hunt mostly being referred to as 'you' or 'Good Hunter', but when she thought of her old name, she didn't see herself, but the sickly shell of a person she used to be.

She didn't want to see herself as that any longer, so she decided to keep thinking before remembering what she had been called when they didn't know she was around or listening. "You may call me Kishin. And if possible, could you direct me towards the nearest city?"

"We were actually just heading back to Beacon. You could join us if you want." Ruby said getting a look from the heiress next to her.

"Ruby we need to finish the mission not deliver some stranger to Beacon." She hissed.

"Weiss we are right where that energy source came from, and who did we find sitting her surrounded by dead Grimm?" She asked gesturing to the person in front of them.

'Those beasts were called Grimm then.' The hunter mused as she listened in on the conversation they were having about her… right in front of her.

After bickering for another minute or so the blue and white themed girl sighed with the cloaked girl facing the hunter again.

"So, what do you say do you want to come with us?" Ruby asked hopefully. She had a good feeling this was the person they were looking for, and if she declined then they'd have to go back empty-handed.

"Very well I will accompany you." She said with a small smile. She had hoped they would offer her a way to the school. If it was anything like Byrgenwerth then there should be a library or something like that where she could get some more info about this place. It was concerning however that they had been able to find her right when she had woken up. Did Flora play a hand in that?

Without voicing any of these thoughts she stepped towards the group only to be stopped by the blonde-haired girl. "Before we take you anywhere with us, we need to know who you really are." Yang said stepping in between the rest of the group and the hunter.

"Like I told your sister I am Kishin a hunter." She said passively.

Ruby started smiling at the thought of meeting a potentially cool huntress. Glynda never gave her that autograph. The other three were wondering why she called herself a hunter and not a huntress.

"Do you mean huntress?" The heiress asked.

Mentally sighing Kishin could tell this would be a long and annoying series of questions. "That depends on what a huntress is." She answered.

"Huntsmen and huntresses are people trained to fight the Grimm, protect the people, and keep peace in the world." Weiss answered.

'Usually yes, no, and not really.' She did hunt beasts, but beasts can take many forms including that of Man. She also didn't specifically try to help people anymore. She momentarily thought of a bloody bow and two sisters. Finally protecting the peace wasn't what she was after either. If this world was in a nightmare then there was no real peace, so she would help to that end by trying to stop the nightmare. Speaking of… just like the other two she had almost nothing to go on for what the nightmare was and how to stop it. "I suppose that I do most of those things, so by your terms I am a huntress." She answered.

"If you really are a huntress then you wouldn't mind showing us the rest of your face. The bandage wrap makes you look rather shady." Blake said.

Kishin paused. She forgot that she was wearing the harrowed hood. She just remembered switching the regular hunter's tricorn hat out for the harrowed hood so that the people she _did_ talk to would stop asking why her eyes were closed.

"You four do seem to make a lot of demands to a stranger." She said lowly before slowly unwrapping the bandages. When she was done stark white hair fell rather messily to her shoulders.

RWBY noticed the hair and looked at Weiss for a moment before looking back to the woman with her eyes still closed.

Her skin was fair and light, but slightly pale. Not on Ruby's level, but still paler than normal. Some might say she looked beautiful.

The fact that she shared the same hair color with Maria and the Doll wasn't lost on her, but it wasn't anything that really mattered.

After she put the bandages away, she fixed her hair into a pony tail before putting on the signature tricorn hunter's cap that was torn at the back.

"U-um…" Ruby said breaking out of her stupor. "Why're your eyes still closed?" She asked hoping not to anger the woman across from her.

"I can see you regardless, so don't worry about it." She said coldly making the reaper take a step back.

"Hey! She was just asking you a question don't get all snippy at her for no reason!" Yang yelled with her eyes turning red.

'Right I forgot these are children I'm dealing with, and they don't seem to have matured very much, but then again my remark wasn't very mature either. Maybe going to this school isn't the best idea.' She thought.

"Hey, are you listening to me? What is wrong with you?" Yang said only a step away from Kishin now.

'I must've been more distracted with my inner monologue than I thought.' She noted when Yang got right up in her face.

Yang grabbed Kishin's collar. Before she could say anything Kishin acquiesced and opened her eyes making the blonde abruptly let go and fall back to the ground. With Yang out of the way the rest of RWB could see what had startled her. Ruby and Weiss paled more than usual, and Blake brought her hand to her mouth to stifle her gasp.

Staring right into Yang's now lavender colored eyes were two empty sockets. "Satisfied?" She asked coldly before closing her eyes once more. Yang had never felt so small compared to the overwhelming feeling coming from the hunter in front of her.

"If we're done with this then let's get out of here before more of those creatures show up." Kishin said to the group.

Ruby shakily nodded and called the bullhead.

When the bullhead landed in the clearing, that was slightly smaller than the pilots would've preferred, Kishin looked at the contraption in slight amazement. 'A flying carriage?' She thought curiously.

The group got in and then rode in complete silence back to Beacon.

 **A/N: Now for anyone thinking this was an update to one of my other stories I apologize for getting your hopes up, but this idea has been in my head for a while. Aside from that I will go ahead and say that I'm not sure if this will be part of my usual already random update schedule or if I'll do it every once in a while.**

 **That stuff aside what do you guys think? I've read a lot of Bloodborne x RWBY crossovers, so I know that what's happened so far is anything but conventional. That said I'll ask again. What'd you think?**

 **For anyone wanting to maybe correct something I wrote whether it be lines from the game or the big 'Great Ones don't talk' I've probably already realized it, and changed the details to do what I always set out to do. Make something that I haven't really found a lot of and do it my own way. That said I'm not changing a lot from either universe right now because I don't need to.**

 **Addressing it right now so people hopefully don't question it too much. Yes Kishin is blind in that she doesn't have eyes. Her insight mixed with her use of the arcane is how she 'sees' what's going on around her. If you have a problem with that then sorry, but it probably won't change.**

 **That's probably it for this one, so like usual Follow, Favorite, Review, and whatever else you all do.**

 **~Laz out.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or Bloodborne**

Chapter 2

Kishin inspected the inside of the flying carriage with silent awe. She could honestly say that even with her insight into the realm of the Great Ones, she had no idea how they were currently flying.

'It seems I will need to take some time to learn more about this world and its more advanced technologies…' She thought with a frown. While the idea of advanced technology sounded intriguing, she kept thinking of the powder-keg hunters and their… volatile creations.

Coming back to the here and now, the hunter observed the other girls in the cabin who were sat about as far away from her as possible. The group had been downtrodden ever since they boarded, but one of them kept stealing glances at the hunter.

The leader of the merry band. 'Ruby she said her name was… why does she keep glancing towards me?' Kishin thought to herself as she inspected her current attire compared to theirs. 'Heavy leather useful for defending against beasts while still allowing unhindered movement.' She thought inspecting her coat. 'They on the other hand don't look they're dressed for combating beasts at all… the red and black-themed girl has a hood and cape that could get caught on just about anything and seems to be wearing a skirt with a corset. The white-haired one also has on a skirt and is wearing _heels_ of all things. The black-haired one with animal ears is slightly better, but her outfit doesn't look like it would provide any suitable protection from the beasts either. At least she doesn't stand out as much as the others. Finally, the blonde… she is by far the worst prepared as far as apparel goes.' The hunter finished her assessment.

'All of that said I have yet to see their abilities first-hand, so it would be foolish to make assumptions.' After a moment's thought, she caught Ruby's 'subtle' glance making said girl look away again. 'The Ruby girl is definitely the most interesting of the bunch.' She added as an afterthought before looking around the rest of the cabin and noticing a white glow to her right. 'Could it be…?' She thought before moving over to the glow.

Sure enough, when she got closer, she could see the tiny deformed bodies of the messengers.

'A note?' She thought to herself. She would've liked to question them directly, but she didn't want to draw anymore attention to the little messengers than necessary. 'I'm surprised those four haven't noticed them yet.'

When they opened the note, she saw the message. _The Wicked Witch is the hidden key to an Eternal Nightmare._

'How unhelpful.' She thought before thinking back to her first contract. "Seek the Paleblood to transcend the hunt." She muttered lowly. What was it with anything involving Great Ones never making sense?

From behind her she felt the hooded one approaching her nervously.

"W-what're you doing over here?" Ruby asked with a nervous stutter. It was painfully obvious that they hadn't made the best impression on their soon-to-be guest, so the red reaper was a tad nervous.

The hunter subtly 'glanced' at the messengers to find them still sitting there with small pots on their heads. Why they liked wearing the little pots she didn't know but seeing them bobble around was rather cute. However, there was a larger question at the forefront of the hunter's mind.

"Can you not see them?" She asked receiving a confused look from Ruby.

"See what? The chairs? Of course, I can see the chairs." She answered looking to where the messengers were, but apparently not seeing them.

'Interesting.' "Never mind. Is there something you needed from me?" Kishin asked.

"Umm… well we're almost back to Beacon, and when we get there the headmaster will want to talk to all of us." She said looking to the floor. "I also wanted to apologize on behalf of my team… with the situation everyone was nervous and suspicious, and I'm just sorry it ended like it did." She finished still looking at the ground.

"Chin up girl." Kishin said firmly surprising the young Rose. "If you aspire to be a hunter then you must carry yourself as such. Besides you need not apologize for minor suspicion, but the way you and your team handled it."

"U-uh right Sorry!" She apologized again giving a small panicked salute.

"Put your hand down." She said pinching the bridge of her nose. 'By the Great Ones is this how Gerhman felt?'

"Sorry." Ruby said putting her hand down.

Kishin felt the gazes of the other three on them. "Was that all you wanted?"

Ruby remained silent for a moment. "Well… I was also wondering what you were doing out in the forest alone."

"That's a good question." Kishin said.

Ruby was waiting for her to elaborate, but she soon realized the hunter wouldn't be giving her anything else.

"Attention: We will be landing at Beacon momentarily." Came from the ship's intercom.

Kishin looked towards the source of the voice. 'There is much to learn.'

Without saying anything else the group exited the bullhead and started walking towards what the hunter assumed was the headmaster's office.

Taking a look at the school itself the hunter had to admit it was impressive.

'It is larger and grander than Cainhurst Castle… Queen Annalise would be annoyed to learn of a place like this.' Kishin thought with a humorous smile. It couldn't have been too long since she last saw the Vileblood Queen, but her sense of time was rather distorted at the moment. 'I may no longer be in that world, but I still carry the blood of the Queen, so I will continue that mission as well, fruitless as it may be.' Some may think that being a hunter of hunters and a Vileblood would have conflicting interests, but so long as she only killed those that walk the path of the beast then all was fine, and besides… after a certain point there wasn't anyone else in the night who would question her actions.

Their group was walking through the courtyard before the young leader heard her name being called. The group stopped and the hunter saw four individuals approaching them.

The RWBY girls saw JNPR and smiled, well Ruby did.

"Hey guys." She said with a wave.

"How was your mission?" Jaune the leader of team JNPR asked.

"We were just about to report to the headmaster. How'd yours go?" Ruby asked while gesturing to the hunter who was standing slightly behind the group.

"Oh, I see." Jaune said with an 'o' face before answering. "It went well, but I still don't understand the timing of it." He admitted.

"Who is she?" Nora 'whispered' to Yang.

The hunter walked to the group calmly.

"If you wish to ask the name of another, it is better to ask the person directly. Regardless you may call me Kishin." She said stopping before the new group. 'More children it seems.' She thought to herself. 'The school itself is impressive, but the few people I've come across so far are rather lacking.' She added as she inspected the new team.

The loud one with orange hair was hopping up and down on the balls of her feet. Probably an energetic type and another skirt wearer. Is it a trend in this world? A boy next to her that radiated calmness. Interesting pair they must be. Still no armor of any kind, but his frame would suggest a more agile fighting style. Next was the blonde that called out to them. Weak, possibly a distraction for the beasts at worst. At best, a human meat shield. Either way he would probably die to the beasts as he was now. Kishin looked to the last one and paused. She wore more armor than almost all the others combined, add onto that her poise. She looked like a warrior and her posture spoke of some type of experience. 'She may make a decent hunter...'

It then occurred to the good hunter that she didn't really know how hunters were chosen for the dream. Her own contract was made in exchange for a blood transfusion, but she didn't think that would happen here. After all Flora herself said there was no blood plague present in this world. 'However, if my blood were to spread then that may cause problems.'

While assessing the team they had gone ahead and introduced themselves to the hunter.

"Well guys we'd love to stay and chat, but we should really report to the headmaster." Ruby said to the others.

"Sure, we'll catch the rest of you later." Jaune said before they left.

"I hope you had a better first impression of their team than ours." Ruby whispered to the hunter as they continued walking.

"None of them asked about my eyes, so in that sense yes it was better." 'But as a team they seem much weaker.' She added in thought. She was doing her best to not judge the others before seeing their abilities, but a good hunter had to be able to analyze their prey, so on the night of the hunt whenever coming across a new beast she would do just that. Sometimes she was right other times she wasn't, but it was a habit that formed nonetheless.

Yang looked down ashamed when the hunter said that but didn't say anything.

"Well anyways here we are! The headmaster's office is at the top of this tower." Ruby said trying to lighten the mood.

"For some reason that doesn't surprise me." Kishin said looking to the tall tower. 'Sitting atop a clock tower waits a crazy man with a gun, or an undead hunter from the past.' She recalled. Djura in the end wasn't a bad person, but he was rather crazy. Whether they used to be human or not, what matters is what they became. Maria… 'I am glad I could end the nightmare created by their own foolishness.' She thought with a sad smile. "I do hope this doesn't prove to be a waste of time." She said getting weird looks from the others.

"You do realize that we are going to see headmaster Ozpin, don't you? One of the most famous huntsmen alive." Weiss said giving the hunter a disbelieving look.

"So far all I've heard are titles girl." The hunter said shifting her focus to the heiress.

"Girl!? Do you have any idea who you're talking to?!" Weiss yelled. She was doing better thanks to Ruby and the others, but she still had her pride.

'I wonder if she's part gargoyle?' Kishin thought putting a hand to her ear. "If you are going to throw more titles at me then don't waste your breath. I will judge people on actions rather than titles." She said leaving no room for argument as they walked inside the building and into the elevator.

Meanwhile Blake was thinking about what the woman had said. 'I wonder if that extends to the Faunus or if it's only something she does with humans.' She thought with a slight frown.

Yang saw the frown and lightly squeezed her partner's shoulder breaking her away from her thoughts. When Blake looked over, Yang gave her a smile.

 _Ding_

The elevator doors opened, and Ruby was the first one out followed closely by Kishin and then the rest of RWBY. 'I'm glad to be away from that thing.' She thought.

 _Professor Ozpin's Office_

"I wonder how they're doing on their assignment." The headmaster of Beacon mused as he sipped from his coffee mug. When he had felt the energy fluctuation, he immediately set out to get ready for whatever may have caused it, but he had a sneaking suspicion of what it might be.

'It's been a very long time since something like this has happened.' He thought to himself with a frown. 'Maybe I should've sent a more experienced team to check on the situation… Team RWBY may be a force to be reckoned with, but they're still just in their first year.'

Glynda had questioned why exactly he chose a first-year team to deal with such a strange occurrence, and now he was slightly questioning the decision himself. 'Knowing them they should be alright, and if they found a person then Miss Rose has probably already endeared herself to them as she usually does… but if they aren't friendly…' He frowned into his mug.

 _Knock_

 _Knock_

 _Knock_

The professor almost spilled his coffee when the knock broke him from his thoughts.

"Come in." He said hoping to see a familiar colorful team.

When the door opened, he saw Ruby and the rest of her team, and for the briefest of moments smiled before adopting the calm and composed mask that he was famous for. Looking to the other person with them his eyes widened slightly, and even through the mask a shocked look crossed his face. 'Can it be?'

"It is good to see you've all returned and seem to be unharmed." The headmaster said recomposing himself.

"We didn't run into any Grimm, and didn't have to fight anybody, so I think it went… kinda well." Ruby muttered the last part glancing at the hunter.

"I'm happy to hear it, and who might you be?" He asked the hunter specifically noting that her eyes were closed.

"You may call me Kishin, and I am a hunter." She said with a slight bow.

"I am Professor Ozpin the headmaster of this academy." He said in greeting before looking back towards the leader of RWBY. 'They seem nervous about something… well more nervous than usual when they're in here.'

"And where did you find Miss Kishin?" He asked.

"We found her in the Emerald forest near where you said the energy… thing…"

"Fluctuation."

"That happened." Ruby finished slightly embarrassed at the headmaster's correction.

"I see. Well thank you all for a job well done." Ozpin praised before turning back towards the hunter. "Now if you girls don't mind, I'd like to talk to our guest here in private for a moment. If that is alright with you?" He directed the last part of the question towards the hunter.

"That is fine." She said evenly.

Ruby looked slightly disappointed, but it wasn't a sentiment shared by the rest of her team.

"Come on Ruby we need to get ready for our afternoon class." Weiss said slightly guiding Ruby back towards the elevator.

"Yeah you're right." Ruby said before taking one last look at the hunter.

When the team had left Ozpin looked at Kishin. "I wouldn't usually ask but did something happen between you and team RWBY?"

"Nothing noteworthy." She answered while taking a seat in one of the chairs across from the desk.

"I see. Well may I offer you some coffee or perhaps tea?" He asked gesturing to the coffee pot on his left.

"No thank you. I don't mean to be rude, but I'd rather not risk the chance of falling victim to poison." She said.

"I have no intention of poisoning you, but very well." He said before adopting a more serious expression. "Would you mind telling me a bit more about yourself?"

"I'm a hunter as I mentioned earlier. Aside from that there isn't really anything to tell."

"Alright then, can you tell me what you were doing out in the forest?" He asked bridging his hands together.

"That's where I woke up." She answered again.

"You're not a very talkative hunter, are you?" He asked hiding an amused grin.

"I'm not… shall we say… a people person." She answered with a shake of her head.

"Yes, I can see that, well enough beating around the bush." He said standing up. "Miss Kishin, I have reason to believe that we may be working together for the foreseeable future."

Kishin raised an eyebrow in question. "What?"

 _With RWBY_

While they were heading towards their next class Yang couldn't help but notice the shift in her sister's mood.

"Is something wrong Rubes?" She asked matching her sister's gait.

"No nothing is the matter… but I was hoping we'd get to find out more about Ms. Kishin." She said looking down slightly.

"I don't want to be mean, but I don't think she really likes us all that much." Yang said carefully.

"Yeah I know… but that's because of what happened when we first met." She said making Yang clench her fist momentarily. "I know she was… cold towards us. Colder than Weiss usually is."

"Hey!"

"But like she said on the airship we didn't really handle it very well." Ruby finished after Weiss' interjection.

"Maybe not but she didn't handle the whole thing very well either." Blake spoke up.

Ruby sighed again before speaking. "I guess we were all at fault there."

"I don't think Blake or I were at fault." Weiss defended.

"Maybe not during our initial meeting, but what about five minutes ago outside Ozpin's tower?" Yang asked with a grin.

"I… fine I made a mistake too." The heiress muttered.

"Speaking of…" Ruby said turning a questioning gaze to her partner. "Do you know her by chance? Hair like that isn't exactly common."

"You _cannot_ be talking about common and uncommon hair." Weiss said in a deadpan. "But no, I've never met or heard of her before."

"Hmm hopefully we'll get to know a bit more about her later." Ruby said.

"Why exactly do you want to get to know her so well?" Yang asked.

"I… don't know, but I do want to try and make it up to her for how things went earlier." Ruby said with a determined look.

Yang smiled at her sister. "We can try and give it a shot, but for now we've got Oobleck's class." She said as they made it to the classroom.

 _With Kishin_

"I may not look it, but I have been around for a very long time." Ozpin said sitting back down. "I originally died to a disease I couldn't overcome. After that happened certain events transpired and things from then on took a turn for the worst." He said with a pause. "After the brothers abandoned this world and shattered the moon on their way out, I was brought back to life by a being I couldn't see. It called itself the spirit of the moon or something close to that, and it said to keep an eye out for their, and I quote, 'Master of the Dream'." Ozpin finished.

"Why should I believe anything you just said?" Kishin asked skeptically, but also concerned.

"You don't have to." He said simply.

"Alright… let's say I did believe these ramblings of yours. Why would you tell any of this to a stranger you've just met?" Kishin asked with a frown.

"I have a very strong feeling you are the one I was told to watch for." He answered evenly.

"What is this feeling based on?" She asked observing the rest of the room.

"The event I just told you about happened hundreds if not thousands of years ago. Ever since then there has been no sign from the spirit, and then this morning there is a massive energy fluctuation in the Emerald Forest. I would guess that most of the people around Vale felt the fluctuation, if they have an aura of course." He added after a moment's thought. "Anyways I digress… the energy felt very similar to one that spirit had back then, so either it sent you here, or you have a very similar aura."

"What do you think would've happened if the thing that caused the… fluctuation… was hostile?" She asked now questioning the sanity of the man in front of her.

"I sent team RWBY in hopes that they would be able to assess the situation and handle it accordingly. They're green, but they have handled themselves well in the past." He answered.

'Had it truly been a Great One they found then they may very well be dead depending on the Great one.' She thought with a grimace. 'He knows of this world, but I don't think he has very much knowledge of the Great Ones or their activities.' "What do you know of the Hunter's Dream?" She asked changing subjects slightly.

"If I'm being honest just the name." He said slightly surprising the hunter.

"What do you mean you only know of the name?"

"I was brought back for a reason… my purpose as I was told is to make contracts for hunters entering the Hunter's Dream. That is the only reason I was given for my reincarnation. That being said, I've never made a contract for a hunter before because there has been no master of the dream. Admittedly I don't even know where this dream is, so with no dream master and no location, I haven't been able to send any hunters there. Because of this I decided to take the task of making a group to fight off the Grimm in their stead. The huntsmen of today."

"So, you believe I am the master of the Hunter's Dream, and your reason for this belief is an energy fluctuation resembling a dream you once had, and that fluctuation occurred where your students found me?" Kishin asked sequentially.

"That sums it up pretty well wouldn't you agree?" He asked.

"You do realize that what you're saying could be taken as the ravings of a madman?"

"Trust me when I say I was hesitant about everything too, and until today I've still been skeptical as to whether the episode happened at all." He admitted. "It does explain the apparent reincarnations I go through, but aside from that the rest of it was nonsense to say the least."

"If that's true then why are you telling me any of this? I don't like to assume things about people, but I had originally thought that you were the type to keep secrets from others, maybe even those you call friends." The hunter said.

"Because of one thing the being said to me all those centuries ago." Ozpin started. "I originally questioned the entirety of what it said, and after not getting a straight answer moved to a different line of questioning. Specifically, I asked who or what the master of the dream was. The spirit made a sound that I might guess was laughing, and then only answered with, 'You'll recognize them when you see them', and that was it. Next thing I knew I had woken up in a body that wasn't my own."

"And you're saying you recognized me." Kishin said crossing her arms.

"I've never been surer of anything in this life aside from the Grimm are evil." The headmaster said.

Kishin paused in thought. 'This is almost too easy… no one could create a lie like this and get so many points in the story correct. This contract will probably get much more complicated.' "I will not lie to you Mr. Ozpin, but I don't trust you at all." She said getting a frown from the headmaster. "However, it seems we may indeed be working in tandem for the foreseeable future. I am working to end this world's nightmare, and along the way train a few hunters."

"I am happy to know that we will be working together, but I must ask what nightmare you are talking about."

"As the hunter that is my problem to worry about, I may tell you more at a later time, but I _have_ just met you." She said before changing topics. "Regarding future hunters…"

"Ah yes there is something we can actually work on. It might take a bit, but I can compile a list of students who might meet the standards for a Dream hunter." He offered before thinking of something else. "I will need you to provide some standards to make that list."

"Before anything else I will warn you that I'll probably veto a majority of those you pick. To hunt with the dream… it requires a certain fortitude that I'd need to see in them before they are contracted. That said I may pick people you don't necessarily agree with. Even if you are against it then I will still make them into a hunter on my own if I see fit, and it will probably be far more painful than simply signing a contract." Kishin said. She wasn't sure if she could _actually_ do that last part, but he doesn't need to know that.

"I'll keep that in mind. If you want to see the students in action, then you could join the faculty here and observe them daily." Ozpin offered.

"It's an interesting offer, but I'm afraid I must decline this one." She said making Ozpin raise an eyebrow in question. "I have my own business to attend to and can't be tied down to a single place for too long. If possible, I would still like to have access to the academy's facilities though."

"It would be much easier if you became a teacher here, but I can't force you into anything." The headmaster said with a sigh. "If you wish to come observe the students or use one of Beacon's other facilities then you must let me know beforehand. That is nonnegotiable."

"How would you like me to contact you then?" She asked.

"A simple call or message from your scroll would suffice." He answered.

"With all the technology you have here you want me to communicate through ink and parchment?" She asked genuinely confused.

"No, I was referring to this kind of scroll." He said holding his own scroll up. Seeing her complete confusion, he realized something that he should've asked about earlier. "I apologize if it seems rude, but your eyes have been closed this entire time and yet you still seem to be seeing everything I'm doing. How is it you're doing that?"

"I'm afraid that is a secret that must remain with me. I admit it is possible for future hunters to learn something about it, but if possible, it's safer if they don't." She answered.

"I have a sinking feeling that a lot of things regarding the dream will be like that won't they?"

"It is a great asset, but also a curse. That's part of the reason I need to completely approve of any future hunters." She said.

"If it is a real cause of danger then I might need to know a bit more about the dream before I can consciously allow any of my students to sign a contract." The headmaster said.

"That is a bridge we can cross when we get there, but now onto related matters, how are contracts made?"

"It is a simple contract. All I need to do is write it out although from what was ingrained in my mind… it must be sealed in blood." Ozpin answered slowly.

'Even in this world.' Kishin thought with a frown. "On the topic of blood, I will give you a warning now." She started getting another eyebrow raise from the man across from her. "Under no circumstance will I allow anyone to come into contact with my blood." She said seriously.

Ozpin merely nodded. "I will do my best to acquiesce to that. Maybe one day you will tell me more about these things, but for now I will accept that."

"I will admit… I never pictured this meeting going the way it has. Had you not mentioned anything about the dream I would've ended this conversation almost as soon as it began, but I have opened up if only slightly." Kishin said slowly. "If you give me reason to regret that decision then I will handle you myself if necessary. I have my duty to fulfill, and you have yours, but when they coincide, I will do my best to work… with… you on that." She finished not liking the feel of that word. Hunters usually hunt alone it's as simple as that. Less things to worry about when in a fight. Cooperation can be useful, but other times it is merely a waste of time and effort.

"I hope that you don't come to regret your decision." Ozpin said before changing topics. "I am happy to work with you when selecting hunters, but as the dream master, I assume you will be helping train the new hunters?"

"Something like that." Kishin said with an internal smile. Gerhman had a method to his madness after all.

"If that is the case then you wouldn't mind a test of your combat abilities, would you?" Ozpin asked with a ghost of a smile appearing on his face.

"It sounds like you have an idea in mind." Kishin said. "I wouldn't be opposed to something like that, but who would you have face me?"

"I have a team in mind that you've already met, and I think you might enjoy seeing just what some of the students here can do." He said his smile growing slightly.

"Interesting."

 _With RWBY_

Team RWBY had just finished their last class of the day and were heading back to their dorm when Ruby's scroll buzzed. Ruby pulled out her scroll and checked it to find a message from the headmaster.

"Who's it from?" Yang asked.

"The headmaster." Ruby said before opening the message. When she read the message, her eyes widened.

"Don't just stay quiet. What's it say?" Weiss asked crossing her arms.

"He wants us to come to one of the practice halls with our weapons." Ruby said rereading the message before checking the time. "In ten minutes."

"Which hall?" Blake asked this time.

"Fourteen..."

"We should hurry and grab our things that isn't very close to us." Blake said before Yang jumped back in.

"I thought there were only ten practice halls." The blonde said confused.

"No there are only ten public practice halls." Weiss corrected. "There are additional private halls. That just leaves the question of why the headmaster wants us there." She finished turning to Ruby.

"He didn't say, but it wasn't a question." She said before walking to the locker room to grab their weapons and combat attire.

With that RWBY hurried to get changed and head to the practice hall. They arrived a few minutes later to find the hall empty.

"Alright so, where is he?" Yang asked looking around.

Blake was about to say something before hearing someone's footsteps. Judging by the occasional additional tap Blake guessed it was the headmaster or someone else with a cane.

"I think he's coming now." Blake said causing the group to quiet down.

When the door opened Professor Ozpin entered followed by Kishin much to the surprise of Team RWBY especially Blake.

'How did I miss her?' She thought to herself before thinking back to earlier. 'Wait… I didn't hear her earlier either… not the sound of footsteps… not her clothes moving… only when she spoke…'

While Blake was having a mini-panic attack Ruby smiled and waved to the two.

"I'm happy to see you again, but why exactly did you call us here?" The reaper asked.

Kishin turned her head slightly towards the headmaster waiting to see how he'd answer this.

"Ms. Kishin and I have been discussing things for quite some time and have come to the agreement that in the foreseeable future she may be taking students to train personally." Ozpin said.

"Are you saying she will be training us?" Ruby asked tilting her head.

"No, we aren't yet sure who she will train, but before I can let her start training others, I wanted to test her combat abilities and she wanted to see how the students here perform in comparison to her own standards." He said.

The entire group felt the temperature in the room lowering. "That is _not_ what I said." Kishin said icily before returning to normal.

"And I thought Weiss was the only one who did stuff like that." Yang whispered to Ruby getting a giggle from the girl and a glare from the heiress.

"Moving on." Ozpin started doing his best to keep calm. He thought Glynda was scary when mad. "Like I said I want to test her combat abilities against your team." He finished.

"All of us?" Blake asked skeptically.

"Unless you believe any of you could win in a one on one fight then yes." The headmaster replied evenly.

The girls of RWBY exchanged glances before Kishin spoke up. "I do have other things I need to be doing, so let's get this over with. I will take on the four of you if it speeds this up."

Weiss bristled slightly at the woman's words, but it was Ruby who spoke first.

"Alright we'll fight you, but don't underestimate team RWBY." She said pulling out Crescent Rose.

'Another scythe wielder then.' Kishin thought to herself. 'I haven't had the chance to reinforce and strengthen the burial blade, so I might save that for another occasion. That said the Blades of Mercy aren't suited for groups. Decisions decisions…' She thought as she waited for the others in the group to draw their weapons as well. 'The moonlight sword would be difficult to explain as would the parasite, but I don't have the correct Caryll rune inscribed right now anyways… simplicity it is then.' She thought before pulling out a cane and drawing Evelynn.

Ruby narrowed her eyes slightly. 'I thought she used a sword… and where was she hiding that?'

Ozpin was looking at her choice in weapons as well. 'Using multiple weapons at a time like that isn't very common anymore, and if she has a separate gun what does the trigger on the cane do, I wonder.'

'A scythe, a rapier, gauntlets, and a sword of some kind. Triggers and chambers on each. Are each of these weapons transformational as well?' Kishin asked herself. "Well then let's begin."

Ozpin pulled up the aura gauges for everyone on his tablet but frowned when he saw Kishin's bar at zero. 'Why…'

Ruby decided she'd start this bout by sticking the head of her scythe in the ground and firing a shot at Kishin.

Kishin merely quickstepped to the side. 'So, it is also a rifle. This may prove annoying.'

Instead of shooting anymore Ruby pulled her scythe up and nodded to Weiss. Without saying anything else the reaper ran forward using her semblance and led with a diagonal swing.

'Fast.' Kishin thought as she waited. As the swing began its descent the hunter fired.

Ruby was stopped dead in her tracks. It felt like she'd been hit by a truck, and it was taking her a moment to realize what happened.

Kishin shot forward with her hand but couldn't pierce her opponent's chest like usual, and instead ended up throwing the girl across the floor. She looked at her hand for a moment before thinking back to the gunshot. 'So that is what that energy does.' She thought seeing the energy surrounding the girl having diminished. 'And everyone present has a similar type of energy how disadvantageous… but… if that's the case…' She thought before dodging the girl's partner.

Weiss had attempted to get behind the good hunter while she was focused on Ruby and it seemed her plan had worked. With the help of one of her glyphs she sped forward rapier at the ready only for Kishin to step to the side again then swipe at her with the cane as she went by.

Weiss grunted in surprise. "Guys the cane is sharpened like a blade." She called to her teammates.

'Fighting them one by one isn't difficult, but they are a team, so this might become more interesting.'

Ruby had gotten back up now and was deciding what to do. "The gun she's using hurts, so be careful." She said to the others before looking to her sister. "Freezerburn."

Weiss stuck the tip of Myrtenaster into the ground covering the ground in ice and a moment later Yang jumped up before firing a shotgun empowered punch onto the sheet of ice causing a mist to form.

Kishin stopped what she had been thinking about and just looked towards them as the mist got thicker. "You believe the right course of action against a woman without eyes is to lower visibility?" She asked incredulously.

Ruby for her part looked sheepish as she scratched her head. "I kinda forgot about that part." She said after a moment. The varying looks on her teammates' faces showed they hadn't thought that through either.

'Very well I suppose I could use this to my advantage.' She thought fishing a blue elixir out of her bag.

Ozpin from where he was sitting saw the hunter's outline, but he wasn't completely sure what it was she was doing, and then before his eyes she vanished.

Ruby looked around and realized she couldn't see everyone on her team. "Maybe next time we tone it down on the mist idea." She called out.

"She's right I can't see anything right now." Weiss grumbled a few feet from her side. Walking towards the voice Ruby found her partner.

"Good to see you Weiss where's Yang and Blake?"

"I'm right here." Yang called as she made her way over.

"Alright all that's left is Blake, and where is Kishin?" Ruby asked before hearing a thud near them. RWY was instantly on alert and they slowly made their way to where the sound came from.

Ruby's eyes widened when they found Blake lying face down on the ground. Yang rushed to her side and rolled her over. "Blake are you alright?!" She asked.

Blake slowly opened her eyes. "What just happened…" She got out before she heard a muffled beeping sound. Rolling to the side her eyes widened as an explosion engulfed her and Yang.

"Ms. Belladonna is out due to aura depletion." Ozpin's voice rang out.

Ruby and Weiss ran forwards to see Yang covering Blake's body. Her own hair coming alight with flames.

"Where is she!" Yang yelled looking around.

"Yang calm down Blake's alright she's just low on aura." Ruby said trying to calm her sister. She gets stronger when she goes berserk, but it also made her a lot sloppier.

"That doesn't matter! She used a downed and weakened teammate as a trap!" She yelled making Ruby wince.

'I don't really like it, but it was effective.' Ruby thought to herself as she looked around. "If we stay together, we should be alright until the fog clears." She said before seeing something glowing coming towards them. "Look out!" She yelled diving to the side with Weiss.

Yang moved Blake away as well, and where they had previously been, they saw another small explosion.

"You've given yourselves quite the disadvantage with this mist you know." Kishin's voice echoed out making Yang clench her fist.

"Are you trying to actually injure her?! She's already been called out, so stop throwing attacks that could injure her further!" Yang yelled out.

Suddenly Yang stiffened when she felt something against the back of her head. "Out in the real world no one will stop just because you yell at them." She said firing Evelynn pointblank into the back of Yang's head. Kishin had retreated a ways away in case the shot hadn't been enough but seeing the blonde's body crumble to the ground she accepted it was. This thought was proven right again when Ozpin's voice rang out eliminating Yang. 'It's too early to tell, but the bone marrow ash might've been overkill.' She thought as she shifted her attention to her remaining prey.

The fog was thinning out, so the hunter knew the other two could see her and the bodies of their teammates between them.

'All we heard was Yang yelling and a gunshot and she's down…' Weiss thought gripping her weapon tighter. Looking to her right she saw Ruby also looking nervous, but even so she had a smile on her face. 'My partner is crazy.'

Ruby was on a different train of thought. 'I haven't even seen her do anything with her weapon or whatever the trigger on it does, and she's already taken out Blake and Yang. She wasn't the aggressor she just acted on our mistake and she's just picking us off… that's So COOOOLLL!' She mentally cheered. This was one of the first times her entire team has been so outclassed, and she was in awe.

"Weiss." She said getting the other girl's attention. "Let's do this."

Weiss just rolled her eyes. "You're unbelievable." She said readying her stance.

"Willing to fight till the end. Admirable if foolish." Kishin said waiting for their move. 'The ice from earlier was unexpected, so the white one may hold more surprises.'

Weiss looked to Ruby and shook her head. 'Just what you need to be even faster.' She thought creating her time dilation glyph under Ruby.

With a smirk and a nod of thanks Ruby was gone in a flurry of petals.

Kishin's eyes would've widened if she had them, but she was quick to react by activating the old hunter's bone and disappearing right as Ruby reached her. She reappeared a few feet away and looked back at the reaper seeing her approaching again.

This time she was ready for the speed of the reaper, but she wasn't paying enough attention to the girl's partner. When Ruby was right in front of her she shot the Evelynn stopping Ruby once more, but then staggered herself when she felt something pierce her back.

Weiss had waited for when Kishin turned away before using a force glyph to propel herself at the hunter. What she hadn't expected was for her attack to not hit aura. Ozpin who had been watching closely was also surprised but was even more confused when the hunter barely reacted.

The hunter kicked Ruby away before turning her head towards the heiress who had frozen. Grabbing the girl's blade, she pulled it out from her back and tossed it to the floor. She would've counterattacked, but saw the girl just sitting there wide-eyed. "What's the matter? You scored a decent hit." She said looking to the girl. It looks like her initial thoughts were correct… because of whatever strange energy they possessed they weren't used to seeing their attacks draw blood.

Ruby having just gotten up missed what happened and only saw her partner kneeling in front of the hunter. Without a second thought she ran forward again propelling herself with shots from Crescent Rose.

Ozpin yelled "No!", but his cry fell on deaf ears.

Kishin meanwhile turned towards the very loud sound of shooting and saw the young rose attacking once again. "You're fast and there is power in your attacks" She started before parrying the rose once more. "But they're far too easy to read." She finished winding her cane back and thrusting into the girl's stomach knocking her away.

With that Kishin surveyed the rest of the room. Yang and Blake looked to be slowly waking up. Ruby was on the ground groaning and holding her stomach. Finally, Weiss was staring at her rapier. Only the tip had blood on it, but apparently even that was too much. After looking at the rapier she walked over and stood in front of Weiss drawing the girl's attention.

Weiss flinched slightly when the hunter stuck her hand out, but then realized she was reaching for the weapon. Without a second thought Kishin took the weapon and wiped it off with a cloth before inspecting it and handing it back to the heiress.

Then she looked towards Ozpin. "They aren't terrible." She said. After thinking it over for a moment the good hunter then turned to Ruby. Walking over she put the Threaded Cane and Evelynn away. "Ruby." She said gaining the girl's attention.

"Yes?" She asked from where she was lying.

"I need to know something. Do you know why your partner froze up?" The hunter asked.

"Um… no when I got up from your kick, I saw her on the ground in front of you, so I just went to try and get your attention away from her." The rose said.

"I see you acted before understanding the situation. While not something I would suggest, in the heat of the moment I probably would've done something similar. That doesn't make it alright though." She added upon seeing the girl's smile.

"Why… why didn't you have your aura up in the middle of a fight?" Weiss asked shakily.

Kishin looked back towards the heiress and that's when Ruby saw the blood on the back of her jacket.

"Oh my gosh you're injured!" Ruby said in realization immediately panicking.

Kishin raised an eyebrow before swatting the girl on the head. "Calm down. An injury like this is nothing more than an annoyance."

"That doesn't answer my question!" Weiss said a bit louder.

As he approached Ozpin added in, "I'm curious about that as well. I'm also wondering why your aura gauge has been empty since the start of the fight."

'I suppose aura is what they call that energy that surrounds them.' Kishin mused before seeing that everyone was now watching her waiting for an answer. "The reason for that is quite simple. I have no aura."

 **A/N: Well I admit that took far longer than I thought it would to finish. Anyways I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Like I just said this took a while to write just because I didn't know how I wanted this chapter to go. I rewrote part of this three or four times before I was happy with it. Umm for anyone wondering about my other stories don't worry I'm working on it. They shouldn't take nearly as long to update as this one since I have an idea for the next chapters for those already.**

 **Next up I suppose is reviews.**

 **I don't usually go one by one for these but there were quite a few questions and things to address, so this time I will.**

 **First off for everyone who just said they liked it, thanks it means a lot.**

 **Now then Evinco: As far as insight goes that's really up to you. The highest in the game was 99 so if you want her to have that much then that's fine. Just know that it's a lot. And for socializing? Well I think she stated it earlier. She isn't a 'people' person, and no she probably wouldn't be as friendly to the White Fang as Blake is. A hunter hunts. Drawing one's ire is a recipe for disaster.**

 **akiranakamuranura: I'm not sure if there's a question there, but yep.**

 **rwbybomb21: First off your name was really familiar to me and I could not figure out why until I checked your profile. Then I saw the Reese x Ruby oneshot and remembered. Anyways what do you make of that? I've seen all the cliches and I agree with most of you I don't like them, but some of them I will indeed be using simply because in another story I'm writing the crossovers are working against Ozpin and honestly I don't think I'd be able to write a story that wasn't very similar to that one if it starts off against Ozzy. Besides I like doing things a little differently. Let's see then there was the Jaune thing. Yeah don't worry sorry if anyone who's reading likes him, but I really have grown to hate that character. Just how I feel about him. As far as descriptive writing and chapter length go don't expect too much. I'm not very good when it comes to descriptive writing and my average chapter length is around 5k. Better than 3k which is where it started.**

 **Next is G: I personally won't write that story, but there is one on the site where Ruby is taken when she's young and grows up into the world of Bloodborne. It was actually a good read, but something stopped me from finishing it I don't remember what though. You won't find it by looking for specific characters because there aren't any listed, and I don't know if it had any specific tags either, but you should find it if you look.**

 **Guest: I couldn't agree more. Soulsborne characters are among the few that can earn OPness, but in this chapter I didn't really showcase the hunter's strength and instead thought about what it truly means for the hunter to fight. Adapting to any situation and using the resources they have to survive. I hope I did it justice because it was very entertaining to write.**

 **sacke110: I'm glad you liked how the hunter traversed worlds. I've seen other stories of many kinds transport the characters this way and that, but I don't like making characters if I can help it. Bloodborne gave us a character like Flora and a lot of unanswered questions about the dream, so I just used that and spun it however I needed. And yes I just like confrontations like what happened at the beginning. Why would RWBY just completely trust random people they find in the woods surrounded by corpses?**

 **Finally The Brightest Silver: Yes I've gotten comments on the way I write before. Sorry but that's just how I write, so it probably won't change.**

 **Anyways Follow, Favorite, Review, and whatever else you all do.**

 **~Laz out.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything**

Chapter 3

The silence in response to her answer was palpable.

"W-what?" Ruby asked honestly afraid for the woman.

"I said I don't have an aura." The hunter repeated. "You seem surprised about that." She noted.

"Well yeah! Everyone should have an aura!" Ruby yelled louder than she meant to.

"Miss Rose is right. It is odd that you don't seem to have an aura, although perhaps it just needs to be unlocked." The headmaster suggested.

"What exactly is aura?" Kishin asked suspiciously. She could see this 'aura' of theirs, but the idea of unlocking something made the hunter uneasy.

"How do you not know what aura is?!" Ruby asked, again louder than necessary. "Aura is the manifestation of our soul it protects us and gives us strength to protect the things we love." She explained dutifully.

"The manifestation of my soul…" Kishin said quietly. The very thought made her shudder. After everything that happened in Yharnam, the beast blood, and the insight within her mind…

Ozpin noticed the look on the hunter's face and thought she was thinking along the lines of how useful aura would be during her hunts.

To everyone's surprise the hunter looked up to the group and opened her eyes for the briefest of moments. This was the headmaster's first time seeing the hunter's eyes, or lack thereof, but it explained why she'd kept them closed the whole time. That still left the question of how she could see without eyes or use of aura, but for now he pushed that to the back of his mind.

"It would be better if my aura wasn't unlocked if I have one in the first place." She said with an empty tone.

The other five were shocked. Ruby gasped aloud, Weiss and Yang's eyes widened, and Blake's eyes narrowed in slight suspicion. Ozpin was more curious than anything else. He knew the hunter was the master of the dream and connected to the being that gave him the ability of reincarnation, but it was the last part of the statement that intrigued him.

'Grimm are the only beings with no aura. Even Salem has her magic from back when she was a regular human. What would lead the hunter to think she doesn't have an aura?' He thought to himself.

Ruby wasn't as tact in that line of questioning. "Of course you have an aura. Only the Grimm don't have aura." She said at a more normal volume.

'I may not be so different from the Grimm in that respect.' Kishin thought to herself. Truly this new world was so vastly different, yet eerily similar to her own, and she could feel the excitement in her blood at the mere thought.

"Why wouldn't you have an aura?" Blake asked. She was the most suspicious of the bunch. Everything about this hunter put her animalistic instincts on alert, and she doesn't even know much about aura, one of the only protections they had from their cruel world.

Kishin sat silent a moment contemplating everything that was happening, and possible ways she could go about this whole aura thing. "An aura is a manifestation of one's soul correct?" She asked getting nods from most of the group. "Then I have no need for it." She said getting the same reactions as last time.

"Why not? If you had aura, then Myrtenaster wouldn't have…" Weiss started only to look down at her weapon.

'She isn't taking the spilling blood idea well at all, and it was merely a prick. What exactly are these students learning from this place?' Kishin asked herself in disappointment. Finding new hunters may be more difficult than she thought. "I know what my own soul looks like, and the last thing I need in battle is a crutch that will make me more careless." She said before thinking of the dream.

'Dying even if you come back is a horrible experience, so I suppose it's different, but it could be seen as a crutch by some.' She mused.

"Even if you see it as a crutch, we only have one life. It's better to have aura and not need it than to not have it and need it." The headmaster said bringing attention back to him.

'Right he doesn't know anything about the dream… This may be easier if I just worked alone like usual.' Kishin thought internally shaking her head. "It is my life I need to worry about, so I will live it how I see fit to accomplish what I need to accomplish."

"But if you begin taking in students then you'll have to protect them. It may be easy to fight alone, but when protecting others, you'll need to watch everything while fighting, and if you're distracted and injured then those you're protecting will suffer as a result of your own stubbornness!" Ozpin argued shocking the students.

Gone was their cool, calm, and collected headmaster. This was the most emotion they'd ever seen from the man as sad as that may be, and they could also see the barest amount of emotion on the face of the hunter.

'This man is getting on my nerves, but he doesn't have any of the knowledge I hold… for now… I must relent.' "Very well." She said taking a calming breath. "If you wish to try and unlock this aura then so be it, but if it doesn't work then I'll continue how I always have. And fret not about your students they will be in safe care." 'For the most part.' Kishin said schooling her features. She'd have to be careful about the aura thing. With the insight she had it could very well drive a lesser person mad, but who knows? After finishing her first dreadful contract she asked for another, maybe she was already mad.

Ozpin sighed in relief. 'She will be difficult, but at least we can come to an agreement on some things.'

"Is that why you fight like a coward?" Yang asked getting strange looks from the rest of the group.

"Yang what do you mean?" Her sister asked confused.

"I mean what I said. She attacked us from blind spots, with explosives, and didn't directly fight much at all." Yang said crossing her arms.

"But we made the 'blind spot'." Ruby pointed out with finger quotes.

"Still the way she was fighting left a bad taste in my mouth. The explosives on an already injured person was too far for a training match."

"Yang it was alri-" Blake started.

"No it wasn't!" She yelled eyes flickering red. "What did she do when she first took you out?" She asked making Blake hesitate.

"It was out of nowhere; I was in the mist looking around when I was hit in the back of the head, I never even heard her coming. When I came back around, I heard the beeping and then there was the explosion, but you were there for that part." She said rubbing where she initially got hit.

"See! An attack from behind with no warning! How is that honorable? A huntress using tactics like that is disgraceful!" Yang yelled.

Kishin was merely watching the girl in front of her ranting. 'She's not a good fit for a hunter either, she's too volatile.' She thought half paying attention to the blonde's rant.

"Yang!" Ruby yelled drawing the hunter's attention and quieting the blonde. "In a four on one against us how would you have fought us?"

"I would've fought head on like I always do-"

"You would've lost!" Ruby shouted stopping her sister again. "Against four people like us, even if we aren't the strongest, you would just run in and get hurt, especially without aura." She finished staring into her sister's eyes.

"Then I would've lost with my dignity intact." Yang huffed glaring at the hunter.

"In a fight to the death I would take being alive over dignity any day." Kishin said finally speaking up. "In the real world there isn't going to be a referee stopping the match, there won't be any way to know your opponent will fight fairly, and there won't be a sure way to make it out with your life if you lose. If you want to fight as a sport then do that and play by the rules there, but if you want to be a huntress then grow up." She finished before looking to Ozpin then turning and walking away. "We can talk about aura at another time, but for now I'm leaving."

With that she left. Yang's hair was smoking in barely contained rage. Weiss and Blake were frowning after the hunter. Ruby and the professor were watching her go both lost in their own thoughts.

'She doesn't hold back anything does she?' Ozpin asked himself tiredly. His job just got that much more difficult.

"Why that- Who does she think she is?!" Yang yelled stomping her foot on the ground.

"She's strong." Ruby said still looking to where she had been.

"She only beat us because she was fighting dirty!" Yang said wheeling around on her sister.

"We've beaten Torchwick before, and he fights dirty too." She answered still not looking at the blonde.

"Yes, but Torchwick's just a thief." Blake said joining the conversation.

"A thief with an aura. If she can dismantle our team like she did just now without it, then what would she be able to do with aura and a semblance?" The leader asked turning to the rest of her team.

Weiss remained silent, but Ruby had a point, and the others seemed to see that too.

"She is strong." The headmaster said reminding the girls he was there. "She can do extraordinary things without the help of aura, and with it she could become even more impressive. Ruby you noticed how she was able to dodge your quick if readable attacks almost instantaneously?" He asked getting a nod. "Some things in this world don't make perfect sense, there are anomalies, exceptions, and outliers. Miss Kishin is a perfect example of that."

"Professor do you really support the way she fought us?" Weiss asked.

"I never said that, but I will admit she didn't say anything wrong. You four have been lucky in your 'extracurricular' activities, but eventually you will find someone stronger, faster, or more intelligent than you. I'd like to think that a team like yours can handle most situations, but no one can do everything. Especially not alone." He finished looking to where the hunter had been and then walking to leave as well. "I appreciate your assistance today, so good job all of you." He added as an afterthought.

 _With Kishin_

'That wasn't a total waste of time I suppose. I was able to see what some of his possible hunters can do. They need work.' Kishin thought as she made her way through Beacon's halls. Finally spotting an exit she walked outside and decided to think about her next move. 'I need to get back to the dream, but how do I make a connection between the dream and an object?'

Suddenly a white light appeared from the ground and a messenger popped its head out holding another scroll. Kneeling down to take and read the note she frowned.

 _A door lies deep in the ring of flowers._

"Why are these things never clear?" She mumbled before hearing her name.

"Oh hey! It's that Kishin lady!" a hyperactive grenadier said jumping up and down while pointing.

"It's rude to point at people like that Nora." Ren said pulling her arm down.

With them was the rest of their team.

"We're sorry about her." Pyrrha said clasping her hands together and smiling with a small bow of her head.

"It is of no consequence." Kishin said before thinking about the message. "Would any of you happen to know of a place with lots of flowers?"

The blonde boy thought for a moment before jumping up. "There's a garden nearby." He suggested.

'Perhaps.' "Would you be willing to lead me to it?"

"Sure, we'd be happy to." He volunteered quickly.

"I appreciate it." Kishin said with a slight bow.

JNPR led the good hunter to Beacon's garden. Eight stone pillars made a circle in the center of the garden with different vegetation hanging from the tops of the pillars. On the ground around the pillars were flowers of many different types and sizes. Despite that the hunter's eyes were drawn to one thing in particular.

Following her gaze, the spartan saw what she was looking at. "It's a nice-looking lamp, but I've never seen it lit. The faculty said they've tried but have never been able to keep it lit for more than a few seconds. Even so it looks nice and fits with the school's design." She said with a slight frown.

Kishin didn't respond and instead walked towards the old lamp. It wasn't a lantern like the ones from Yharnam, but she felt the same pull towards it that those lanterns gave. Momentarily forgetting about the children behind her the hunter knelt down and softly snapped her fingers. To the surprise of the others who were watching from behind her the lamp lit, and stayed lit. It gave off a soft and almost calm white light.

"How'd you do that?" Jaune asked for the group.

Kishin mentally cursed in her head. 'I didn't think about them seeing that, I was careless.' "Perhaps it just needed the right touch." She said not answering the question.

"Oh! We have _got_ to go show Dr. Oobleck. He said it was impossible, but here it is we can rub his face in it!" Nora said excitedly.

"Nora I'm not sure that's a good idea." Jaune said in slight confusion.

"Well if you want to stop me then you'll have to catch me!" She yelled running off.

Ren sighed and shared a look to Jaune.

"We gotta go get her." Jaune said before running off with Ren.

Pyrrha looked between her fleeing team and the hunter. "I'm sorry to cut this short, but we do need to stop her." She said apologetically before following her teammates.

"I don't think I've ever been so thankful for a distraction." She mumbled before checking the surroundings for any other surprises. Finding nothing out of the ordinary she knelt again and put her hand up to the lamp before fading into a white light.

After a moment of nothingness, she woke up in a familiar setting. Looking around she saw the lines upon lines of gravestones. Up the hill a bit was the building she had come to know as home. The night may have been long, but not all of it was a nightmare.

The only thing missing from the picture was the doll. Looking to the top grave she sometimes prays at the hunter doesn't see her there either. 'She isn't usually in the workshop, so there's one more place she might be.' She thought before walking down the path. The gate that had remained closed so long was wide open. The field of flowers was truly beautiful, but Kishin hadn't had time to appreciate it before. Over near another line of gravestones the doll was kneeling with her head down.

"So, this is where you were." Kishin said as she walked up next to the doll. Looking to the gravestones she saw the most recent name: Gerhman The First Hunter.

When she heard the hunter's voice the doll immediately stood up, turned around, and surprisingly hugged her.

After a moment the doll let go and frowned. "Dear hunter I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me." She said bowing her head.

"It's fine doll. I don't know quite how long it's been since we last spoke, but I am glad to see you again." Kishin said with a small smile.

"I thank you for understanding that which I cannot." She said before clasping her hands together. "Would you indulge me in answering a question?" The doll asked.

"What is it?" The hunter asked curiously. The doll's questions could range to just about anything based on what she may have read from the books in the workshop. It amazed her that the doll hadn't read the books before then, but some questions don't really have an answer.

"Why did you stay?" She asked shocking the hunter a bit.

"I stayed because it was the best choice for me at the time." Kishin answered. "You know about my lack of eyes. Because of the dream and the hunt, I went from a helpless little girl to the hunter I am today. Leaving meant forgetting the dream and the hunt, and I couldn't do that. Besides, I can't very well forget the promises or friends I made along the way."

"Friends?" The doll asked with a confused look that didn't match her tone.

"Yes, not everything during the hunt was bad. You are one of them doll. I never would have made it through the night were it not for all the help you've given me."

"Dear hunter I was merely fulfilling the duty I was created for. You became strong because of the hunting you did. Besides I am but a doll I don't know the true meaning of these friends you speak of."

"Understanding isn't always the most important thing. What made you hug me?" Kishin asked.

"I-I don't know it was more of an impulse than anything else."

"I rest my case." Kishin said confusing the doll further. "We can talk more about that another time. I had some questions about the dream."

"I will answer to the best of my ability dream master."

"First of all, please continue to refer to me as good hunter, or just hunter if you refuse to call me Kishin. I don't want to be referred to as the dream master when it is just the two of us. Next, I want to know how many hunters the dream can support."

"In the past the highest number of hunters to enter the dream at once was three not including Gerhman." The doll answered dutifully.

'So perhaps three students.' Kishin mused. "I think I already know the answer, but I can't return to Yharnam through the gravestones like I used to can I?"

"To my knowledge no. Those gravestones have been cleared, and the only remaining inscription says _The Garden_."

"Thank you Doll… Doll doesn't sound quite right anymore… Since you were modeled after Lady Maria would you be opposed to me calling you Mare?"

"You may refer to me as you wish good hunter." She said with another small bow.

"No, I wish to hear your true opinion on this." Kishin said making the doll frown.

"I am but a doll you may do and refer to me as you see fit." She repeated.

"NO!" The hunter shouted not phasing the doll in the slightest. "You may have been created that way, but you can't continue like that. Think of yourself like you think of me." She finished calming down slightly.

"I am but a doll not a person, not a hunter, like you." The doll responded.

"I may be a hunter, but I've questioned my humanity far too often recently." The hunter said crossing her arms. "Blood of the beast, mind of a great one, all combined in the body of a human. I see no difference between the two of us. We are both products of this Hunter's Dream." She said staring out across the clouds.

"I see." The doll said growing quiet. "The name Mare does indeed sound pleasant." She admitted after a moment.

"Mare it is then." Kishin said while still staring out.

 _With RWBY_

RWBY had returned from the training room and Yang was still in a sour mood.

"It just wasn't how a huntress should act when fighting! Ruby think of all the fairytales and stories you've heard! Does she fit any descriptions from those stories?!" Yang asked in annoyance. Why couldn't her sister just understand.

"Yang calm down, please." Blake pleaded wanting everyone to just quiet down.

"No not until Ruby understands that that woman isn't a huntress to look up to." She replied staring at the back of Ruby's head.

Ruby was just getting tired of Yang yelling and arguing with her about the spar, but as her teammates kept talking Ruby thought about something odd. "When she first introduced herself what'd she call herself?" She asked looking back to her team.

"She initially said she was a hunter." Weiss answered raising an eyebrow. "Did you just realize that she called herself something different?"

"Maybe?" Ruby said sheepishly.

"What's that have to do with anything? Hunter huntress same difference." Yang said still frowning. 'Is she just dodging my question?'

"Maybe she isn't a huntress." Ruby said getting confused looks from the others.

"Think about her fighting abilities there's no way she wasn't trained to be a huntress." Weiss said not quite believing her.

"Remember when you were explaining what a huntress was? She did seem to pause and think about it before answering." Blake pointed out.

"So you think she was lying?" The heiress asked.

"Guys that isn't the important part I was getting to." Ruby said quieting the rest of her teammates. Yang meanwhile was still waiting for whatever Ruby's response would be.

"Maybe she was lying or maybe she wasn't, but what if there _is_ a difference between the two? A huntress is what we are working to become. Protecting people with our very lives if we have to. She called herself a hunter. When I think of a hunter, I think of a person hunting wild animals, but she dispatched all the Grimm from when we found her and took all of us out without aura. She might be like a bounty hunter or something." Ruby pitched making the rest of the group sweat drop. It was sounding decent up until that point, but the conclusion she reached wasn't accepted well.

"Ruby I don't think she would be taking students under her wing if she were a bounty hunter. Those types usually like to stay away from huntsmen and huntresses." Blake said making the reaper deflate.

"She might not be completely wrong." Weiss interjected giving Ruby a ray of hope. "She may just hunt Grimm and animals. She isn't a huntress because she doesn't hunt to protect, but maybe for another reason."

"The way she fought us it was obvious she's fought human and faunas opponents before… what if she hunts people too?" Yang asked.

"I don't like that picture as much." Ruby said paling slightly. She couldn't refute any of the claims being thrown around, but at the same time it was pure speculation.

Before anything else could be said there was a knock at the door. RWBY shared a look before Ruby stood up and answered the door.

"Oh, hi Pyrrha do you need something?" She asked the champion.

"I was wondering if you know where Miss Kishin is?" She asked.

"Umm no we haven't seen her since earlier this evening. Why are you looking for her?" Ruby asked.

"I had a question for her but got distracted by Nora and you know how that goes." She answered rubbing the back of her head awkwardly.

"Yeah I know." Ruby said with a small smile. "What'd you want to ask her?"

"It isn't too big a deal, but you know that lamp in the center area of the garden?"

"The one that is never on?"

"Yes, that's what I wanted to ask her about. It's lit and she's the one who lit it." Pyrrha said making Ruby's eyes widen.

"How'd she do that?" The mini reaper asked.

"That's kind of what I wanted to ask her along with something a tad more private." She answered.

"Oh well, no, ever since our spar earlier we haven't seen her. She didn't seem to be in the best mood when she left us." Ruby said looking to the floor in slight shame.

"You fought against her?" Pyrrha asked curiously.

"Actually, she fought all of Team RWBY." She said shocking the girl.

"Well what happened?" The spartan asked wanting to hear more.

Ruby looked behind her to see the rest of her team only half paying attention to the conversation and decided to explain what happened in a quieter setting. "Let's go for a walk and then I'll tell you about it."

"Alright then?"

With that the two walked and with some minor prodding from Ruby they made their way to the Beacon gardens to see the lamp and find a nice place to sit.

Sitting on a nearby bench Ruby scooted to one side to allow Pyrrha to sit next to her. "Alright so you want to know about the sparring match we had?" She asked getting a nod. "I'll be honest, and this might sound like bragging, but it isn't. I think we're one of the top teams of our year along with your team." She said. After not getting a response she continued. "That said I wouldn't call the spar a match at all it was entirely one-sided."

"In what way?" Pyrrha asked.

"The entirety of our team was completely outclassed." Ruby said making the other girl's eyes widen. She had a feeling the woman was strong from the few seconds they had talked when they first met, but to hear she took on the entirety of RWBY and crushed them was quite a feat.

"It started well enough." Ruby continued. "I started by shooting at her to see how she would handle it, and she just sidestepped as naturally as can be. After that I charged in."

"Rushing an opponent with unknown abilities is very reckless you know?"

"Yea I know." Ruby said rubbing the back of her head with a slight smile. "And it definitely came back to bite me less than a second later. You've seen some of the speeds I can get to with my semblance and all it took was one bullet to completely halt all of my momentum."

"Sounds like a very strong firearm with high stopping power, but I don't know what it might be." Pyrrha said putting her hand to her chin in a thinking pose.

"It felt like running straight into a brick wall, but it was compressed into an area the size of… well a bullet." She said before continuing. "Anyways after that I was staggered on one knee and she hit me clear across the arena with a thrust of her hand. When I recovered and looked up, I saw Weiss's sneak attack we had planned had completely failed. She got hit with Kishin's cane." Ruby said in response to Pyrrha's questioning look. "After that I kind of messed up." She said poking her fingers together.

"What happened?"

"I had Yang and Weiss perform one of our combo moves and I picked one that can cover an area in a foggy mist." Ruby said. So far Pyrrha didn't see the problem, but she'd wait for that question to answer itself.

"The thing that slipped our minds and was quickly pointed out was that we were fighting a woman, a hunter, who lacks eyes in the first place."

Pyrrha's eyes widened before she thought about the hunter's eyes from earlier. "She never opened them when we talked, but she knew where everyone was anyways. How odd."

"Yes, well she ended up using that to her advantage. The mist was really thick, so I couldn't see more than a few feet ahead of me. I quickly found Weiss and Yang, but Blake didn't respond to our call. Next thing we heard was a dull thud. When we ran over, we found Blake face down on the floor. Yang was trying to help her and figure out what happened when there was an explosion from beneath Blake."

Pyrrha gasped quietly. "That's quite the… interesting thing to do in a practice session, but is it safe to assume there's more?" She asked.

"Yep, next we saw an orange light heading towards us through the mist. It was another explosive. Afterwards Yang starts yelling at the hunter before everything went completely quiet. A moment later we heard a gunshot and were told Yang was out." Ruby continued.

While she regaled Pyrrha with the fight both girls failed to notice a small white glow near the lamp that disappeared and left Kishin in its place. Kishin noticed the two girls immediately, but they didn't seem to know she was there, so she didn't say anything. 'Both the hooded rose and the warrior talking together how intriguing.' She thought before realizing Ruby was talking about their match earlier.

"Next Weiss used her time dilation glyph to make me faster and I shot off again. This time she waited until I was right in front of her before like phasing through my attack and appearing a few feet away. I turned around to do a sandwich attack with Weiss and… well I got shot again then kicked away." She said deflating slightly making Pyrrha giggle a bit.

"It sounds like her gun is quite scary." She said drawing back her laughter.

"It doesn't look it, but I've never felt anything like it. One shot completely knocked Yang out of the fight remember. Anyways when I got up, I saw Weiss kneeling in front of the hunter, so I went in again and… you already know what happened at this point." Ruby said shaking her head. "She said my attacks were too loud and predictable."

"If you used your scythe's rifle to make you faster then yes that would be loud." Pyrrha admitted.

"Yea I know, but it looked like Weiss was in trouble. Once she shot me for the third time, she finally used her cane against me, and Weiss was right it was definitely sharpened." She said before shrugging. "That isn't the craziest part though." She said gaining Pyrrha's and the hunter's attention.

'This is about my aura "issue" isn't it.' Kishin thought leaning against the column near her. She'd have to figure that out at some point since she did say she'd give it a shot.

"The entire time we fought her she never showed fear or unease at anything. I thought she was just confident with her aura or skills, and maybe she was confident about her skills, but at the end of the fight she got injured."

"How'd she get injured?" Pyrrha asked.

'How _did_ I get injured?' Kishin asked herself. 'Nothing really impactful happened during the fight aside from the white one sticking my back.'

"Weiss hit on that last attack and stabbed her. The thing is she didn't hit aura."

"Why didn't she have it activated in the middle of a fight." Pyrrha asked confused.

"She told us she didn't have aura! The entire fight she decimated us without even having a passive aura!" Ruby said excitedly.

"Why does that make you so happy?" The champion asked.

"Because it was so cool! Yang was really mad about the way she fought. Not being a straight up fight or something, but what would you do against the four of us with no aura?" Ruby asked making Pyrrha think.

"Honestly I'm not sure. I don't rely on it a lot, but my aura and semblance do play important roles in my fighting style, and against your team? I'd be hard pushed to beat the four of you like I am now." She said making Ruby blush a bit.

"Aww you're too humble Pyrrha." Ruby said shaking her head. "But that's exactly what I mean. I asked Yang the same question and she said she'd fight head on like she usually does. Without aura and her semblance, she'd be down within seconds."

"Isn't that a little harsh of you?" Pyrrha asked. The sisters from what she knew were close, so hearing Ruby say something like that was a tad surprising.

"Not at all, Yang can be best described as a berserker. She takes damage in a fight to become stronger. Without aura she'd probably run straight into her death." Ruby said shaking her head.

"I believe you may be right about that." Kishin said walking out from behind her column.

"K-Kishin!?" Ruby squeaked before going into apology mode. "I'm sorry for talking about the fight earlier and the things we learned about you since I know you don't like others talking about you behind your back…" Ruby continued getting faster and faster as the apology continued. Thankfully she was stopped by Kishin raising her hand in front of her.

"Ruby." She said kneeling down to 'look' into the girl's silver eyes.

"Yes?" Ruby asked hesitantly.

"Stop talking." She said before standing back up. "It is fine the experience was yours just as much as it was mine, and while I don't want to draw any more attention than necessary, I know that people here talk, and rumors spread." 'I guess it's better than the people of Yharnam just yelling at or ignoring each other.' She thought with a small frown.

"Right…?" Ruby said hesitantly.

"Miss Kishin I was actually looking for you. I had a few questions, and well… after that story maybe a few more." Pyrrha said getting a raised eyebrow in response.

"I cannot promise you an answer, but I see no harm in your asking." The hunter responded.

"Can I ask a few too?" Ruby asked almost shyly.

"Very well but do hurry I do have a few other things to do." She said. Even though she said that all she planned to do now was clear her mind with some mindless hunting.

Pyrrha and Ruby shared a look before Pyrrha looked forwards again. "The lamp is something I wanted to ask about, but I'll save that for another time. After the story Ruby told she made it sound like you have abilities that are semblance-like yet have no aura. Is that true?"

"I don't know about any special abilities, but the aura part is true. If I have aura, then it is locked. If not, then I merely have no aura." She answered not really fazed by the question. There were worse things to explain that they could have seen, but from what they _had_ seen of her so far, she didn't have to explain much.

"Then how did you phase right through that attack earlier?" Ruby asked taking her turn.

"I did nothing more than dodge your attack. I've fought against strong opponents, fast opponents, and smart opponents. The most difficult to deal with isn't the strong or the fast, but the smart ones. You and your team are probably bright or smart in general, but on the field of battle is where some outshine others." She answered thinking back to some of the hunters she had fought across Yharnam, the Hunter's Nightmare, the Dream, and the many chalices.

"Alright… my next question kind of goes in a different direction than that." Pyrrha said trying to think of how to ask this. "When we first met did you… analyze each of us?" She asked.

"You're a sharp one." The hunter said before feeling the energy in the garden around her. "Yes, I analyzed both of your teams when we first met as best I could."

"What did you think of my team? Honestly please." The invincible girl requested.

"While at this academy I have only encountered your team and Ruby's. After observing each member of your team, I believe you to be weaker than Team RWBY." She said callously making Pyrrha and Ruby wince.

"What'd you think about the members of my team?" Ruby asked curiously.

"Initially I analyzed what you wore out in the field, but after our battle I've learned a bit more." She started. "Your skills seem adequate for a girl your age, but you showed a lack of true battle experience when you went for the same move three times with each one failing the exact same way." She said making Ruby wince again. "The blonde one your sister I believe, was… volatile. Emotions are important, but she is controlled by them when angry. The white one also showed a lack of true battle experience when she froze up in the middle of a fight. The black one I didn't get to see fight but relied on her ears too much." She finished.

"What do you mean by that last part?" Ruby asked.

"When she lost her ability to see in the fog she relied on her ears, and when she didn't hear me, she let her guard down making her easy to pick off."

"What about my individual team members?" Pyrrha asked.

"Based on what I saw I would imagine the one in green is a quick and agile fighter just based on his clothing and lithe frame. The energetic one is probably a strong girl based on her physique, but emotionally she may be too attached to the boy in green. Next was that leader of yours. I have nothing good to say about him." She said. Pyrrha frowned at this but stayed quiet for now. "Finally, there was you. I don't know anything about your abilities in combat, but from what little I've gathered I believe you do have some abilities in that area. Aside from that I do not know. I'd have to see your group in action before making any more judgements."

"Thank you for your honesty, but respectively I must say you're wrong about Jaune. I know he may not be the strongest, but in time with the right guidance he will become a great huntsman."

"Perhaps so. From what I've seen he may make a good huntsman as you put it, but he wouldn't make a good hunter, and that's really what I'm judging." She said once again confusing the champion.

"So there is a difference!" Ruby interrupted excitedly.

"From what you told me earlier I would agree with that statement. You all are at this school learning to become huntsmen and huntresses, and I am but a mere hunter." Kishin said tonelessly.

"What is the difference?" Pyrrha asked. She couldn't explain it, but something about this made her nervous.

"The biggest difference I can see is that your title is earned through schools like this. Mine was earned through hunting and combat." She said. "A side point is we fight the same beasts, but for different reasons." She finished.

"What did you do to become a hunter?" Ruby asked voice full of innocent curiosity.

At this the hunter frowned and remembered Yharnam's endless night. "I fought and slew all manner of beasts and completed the contract I signed." She said with a far-off look. Despite everything she had done since finishing her contract, all her efforts to stay with the Dream, the night was still wrought with horrors, and from the looks she was receiving the two with her could at least imagine their own idea of what happened based on her words and actions.

"Sorry for asking." Ruby said sadly.

"You really must stop apologizing for things out of your control girl." Kishin said in a lecturing tone. The fact that she was willing to entertain these two was a testament to her own good mood. Reconnecting with the dream had eased a lot of worries that had been building in the back of her mind.

"If it's not too much to ask." Pyrrha started carefully. "Why did you become a hunter?"

At this the hunter paused. Was it really the right move to tell these two so much about herself? Honestly no, probably not, but at the same time… "I mentioned completing a contract earlier correct?" She asked receiving nods from the two girls. "In exchange for an operation to cure a disease I agreed to become a hunter and complete a task." She answered.

"What was the task-" Ruby started before Pyrrha jumped in.

"That's okay we don't need to hear that part I'm sure it was something you'd rather not remember." She said after actually jumping between the two and holding her hands up.

"Oh right don't worry about it." Ruby said with a smile on her face.

"Right." Kishin said raising an eyebrow. The aura around the two was fluctuating slightly. Maybe it was due to nervousness or some other emotion, but she wasn't sure. "Was there anything else the two of you needed?"

"What're you doing out here at this time of night?" Ruby asked only just realizing the sun had set.

"I suppose it won't hurt if you know what I'm doing." Kishin said more to herself than the other two. "A hunter must hunt."

"You plan on hunting now? At this time of night?" Pyrrha asked in concern.

"What better time to hunt beasts?"

"Umm how about when you can see them?!" Ruby exclaimed.

"The beasts are more active at night, so there are more to hunt." The hunter explained.

"Miss Kishin how will you see- I'm sorry!" Pyrrha said quickly.

"What she means! Is why do you want to be out fighting more of them?" Ruby tried to cover for her friend.

"The mindless slaughter will help clear my mind." She said simply.

Ruby and Pyrrha didn't have a response to that.

'Hunting a ton of Grimm helps clear her mind?' Ruby asked herself.

'She has the confidence that she will slaughter everything she comes across?' The redhead thought.

Sharing another look. One of worry the other of excitement both girls surprised the hunter once again.

"We want to come with you." They said together.

"Absolutely not."

 **A/N: Welp there's that. I know I know it took a while, but hey it happens. Anyways what'd you think? Some things might not make sense to all of you on how this or that happened, so if you have questions or complaints leave a review I've probably got an answer.**

 **Reviews I suppose:**

 **Evinco: Yeah bringing out the hunter's aura if she has it would be incredibly dangerous for those involved.**

 **rwbybomb21: Thanks for most of that stuff, but you probably shouldn't recognize my name at all I don't remember leaving very many reviews around this site. Yep fuck Jauney boy. As for the rest who can say? It was indeed a long night.**

 **The hunter may or may not get an aura. Why would I reveal that, it takes the fun out of it.**

 **Carre: There's Mare. Who knows who she will meet. And I never promise anything on romances aside from fuck Jaune.**

 **Thanks everyone for the support with this one.**

 **Follow, Favorite, Review, and whatever else you all do.**

 **~Laz out.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or Bloodborne**

Chapter 4

" _Absolutely Not."_

That had been her answer, but these two were of the persistent type. 'How troublesome.' She thought as she walked out of the garden area followed by the two thorns. 'Oh well at the very least they can be made useful before I leave them.' She thought stopping and turning around. "Tell me Ruby… what would be a good nearby area filled with beasts?"

Ruby thought for less than a second before answering. "I'd probably say the closest is Emerald Forest where we found you."

Pyrrha made a mental note to ask about that later.

"I see well if you plan on continuing this pointless pursuit then please point us in the right direction to get to the forest as quickly as possible." Kishin said directing her focus to Ruby.

"Sure, it's right over this way." She said leading the group to one of the entrances to the forest. A cliff.

Kishin felt a disturbing lack of anything directly in front of them and directed her attention below them. 'That figures.' "Ruby."

"Yes?" She asked slowly.

"Are we standing at the face of a cliff?"

"Yes?" She responded still confused.

"And how do you recommend getting to the bottom?"

"A landing strategy?" Ruby asked unsure. Pyrrha to the side realized the problem.

"Ruby she can't see and doesn't have aura." Her friend reminded quietly.

Ruby made an 'o' face. "Right…" She said before looking around. "Perhaps… we could try unlocking it?" She asked carefully looking to Kishin.

"I believe I've made my stance on this issue clear." Kishin said with slight annoyance.

"Didn't you tell the headmaster that you'd try it though?" She pushed.

"I did, but now is not the time nor the place."

"She's right Ruby." Pyrrha interrupted. "If she wants to wait to unlock her aura with the headmaster then we should respect her choice."

"Alright then I suppose we can go the longer way." She said with a huff. There were stairs going down the mountain, but it took sooooo much longer.

"The stairs down are over this way." Pyrrha said walking in the perceived direction.

After some winding stairs the trio finally reached the bottom.

"Ugh that took so looooong." Ruby complained mostly to herself.

"I plan on hunting for most of the night, I'm not in a hurry. If you wish to go back or go off on your own, then by all means." Kishin said with a gesture of her hand as she walked.

"Nope! I'm good I mean I'm not doing anything else and we _do_ have all night!" Ruby said quickly rubbing the back of her head.

"Hm." Was her only response. Without another word she started walking deeper into the forest. 'I need to lose them somehow… with her speed Ruby can probably find and catch me easily in an open area, so a tighter place… I may not know the warrior's abilities, but I can lose at least one of them this way.' She thought finding thicker areas of woods the deeper she went.

"We haven't encountered many Grimm, have we?" Pyrrha asked after a couple minutes. They had been walking through the forest but hadn't come across any of the creatures of darkness.

"No, we haven't, but in any case, I believe this is where we shall part ways." Kishin told them making their eyes go wide.

"Why now? I thought we were past the going it alone thing." Ruby exclaimed.

"Because according to your headmaster I can't supervise students until the aura issue is taken care of. Therefore, I can't take responsibility for you two." 'And it's probably more likely for the beasts to go after a single target than a group.' She added on in thought. She'd seen a few of the wolves wandering, but not approaching.

Without waiting for a response, the hunter dashed through the woods much to the surprise of the huntresses-in-training.

"Wait!" Ruby called activating her semblance. It didn't take more than a few seconds for her to stumble and trip on a root. "Ow…" She said rubbing her head.

"Ruby!" Came Pyrrha's voice. She left her friend behind whoops.

It took another second before she could see Pyrrha's red hair. "Sorry Pyrrha I'm right here." She said getting to her feet.

"Please don't run off again. It's dark and the forest is thick around here."

"Yeah my bad I just wanted to stick with Kishin you know." She said looking down and scuffing her boots.

"I know how you feel, but if my guess is right then she led us this deep purely to cancel out your speed advantage." The warrior said looking around.

"Did she really not want us here that badly?" Ruby asked with a frown.

"We did kind of force ourselves on her in this instance." She responded.

"Aww and I wanted to see how she fights when it comes to Grimm." The cloaked rose pouted.

"I did as well, but more than that I was worried about her going off into the forest at night alone."

"I was too… it just wasn't the _only_ reason." Ruby said also looking at their surroundings. "What should we do now?"

The champion thought on it for a moment before shrugging. "I don't really know. I'm still worried about Ms. Kishin, but now we're also stuck in the forest at night."

"So, we can either look for the person who doesn't want to be found or we can find our way out and hope for the best come morning." Ruby surmised.

"Those are our current options it would seem." Pyrrha nodded. "Ruby how comfortable are you fighting at night?"

"Umm it's more difficult, but I can do it. Why?" She asked reaching back for her weapon.

"Because I believe we have company." Pyrrha said drawing her own weapons to the ready.

They could see red eyes glowing all around them.

"Hey Pyrrha…" Ruby started.

"Yes?"

"Bet I can kill more than you!" She said excitedly shooting one of the now revealed Beowolves.

"I'll accept that bet." The champion responded with a rifle kill of her own.

 _With Kishin_

Up above the two girls the hunter stood on a thick tree branch and watched them fight. 'They aren't used to fighting as partners, but they are still doing well together.' She appraised. 'Ruby's fighting style is quick and powerful, almost ferocious… beast-like… but I suppose there is a certain grace to it. Pyrrha I believe her name was is very efficient with her weapons. There is little wasted movement and her attacks have a flow to them also painting a graceful picture… although I've never been a fan of shields personally.' She thought as the two finished the small pack.

 _Back with Ruby and Pyrrha_

"What was your count Pyr?" Ruby asked with a hyper grin looking for any more Grimm.

"Pyr?" She asked before shaking her head. "I killed nineteen."

"Drat! I only had seventeen." Ruby said disappointedly before perking back up. "And do you not like it?"

"Pardon?"

"The nickname."

"Oh well no I've just never really been given a nickname like that before." Pyrrha said looking slightly down. "I've had fans and managers call me things that I'm sure you've probably heard of, but I've never had one from a… friend." She admitted shyly.

"Well if it's alright can I call you Pyr every once in a while?" Ruby asked with a smile.

"Yes, I think I'd like that." She replied with her own small smile.

"Well good." She said before waiting a moment. "Duck Pyr!" She yelled making the other girl immediately duck down. A rifle shot was the only thing suggesting a problem. Looking behind her Pyrrha saw the headless corpse of an Ursa.

"I'm sorry I must've been distracted." She quickly apologized.

"What're you apologizing for now I'm one step closer." Ruby said pumping her fist.

"… closer to what?"

"Beating you of course! Now I'm at eighteen."

Pyrrha slowly shook her head before laughing. "Very well let us see who can kill more Grimm, but we have to stick together." She added before Ruby could run off. It was already dark. The worst thing to do now was split up.

"Alright then let's go! Wait are we trying to leave the forest or find the hunter?"

"Our first order of business should be getting some light." Pyrrha said recalling what Jaune had done during initiation. It took a few minutes using her scroll's internal flashlight to find a suitable stick. When she found one, she held it up triumphantly only to see Ruby wasn't looking towards her.

"Hey Pyr?"

"Yes?"

"What's over that way?" The rose asked pointing at an orange glow shining through the trees.

"I'm not sure it may be another person in the forest." Pyrrha suggested.

"We should go check it out they might need help, or it might be Kishin." Ruby suggested as they started approaching the light.

 _With Kishin_

'Hmm these beasts do not fear fire.' The hunter thought as another beowolf ran up to her. The beasts of Yharnam had an ingrained fear of fire. Well a lot of them did. Cutting down the wolf that charged at her Kishin thought about what she could do. 'In Yharnam some beasts showed hesitation whenever I held a torch, but these pay it no mind… If memory serves, the events of Old Yharnam were where the fear is thought to have originated.' "Well then I suppose it falls to myself." Kishin said aloud to the rest of the pack circling her.

Kishin pressed the trigger of her cane causing it to break into segments and showing the internal line holding it all together. "You don't fear the flames, but soon you will." She said quietly as she applied a fire paper to the whip.

As one the circle of wolves pounced. With a twirl of her hand the hunter flourished the whip about setting nearby forest and beast alike on fire. With the beasts behind closing in she dropped a rope Molotov Cocktail and dashed forward meeting the slightly singed beasts ahead of her. With wide arcs she took down the first beasts in front of her. With the path ahead cleared she turned while backing up and flourished the whip once more setting nearby trees alight illuminating the night.

'That's a good bit on fire now… there.' She thought finding a low hanging branch and bringing it down with the whip. It wouldn't do if it were just the trees on fire there needed to be something on the ground as well. With that thought in mind she set about knocking more branches down. Some of the wolves were caught in the falling limbs letting howls of pain sound into the night.

 _With Ruby and Pyrrha_

The huntresses-in-training watched in awe at the sheer destruction caused by the hunter. Trees on fire, Grimm howling in pain and anger, and grooves dug out in the ground and greenery.

"Why's she setting the entire forest on fire?" Ruby asked voicing her confusion.

"I would say she's using it as both a means to see and as a weapon, but she seems to know where things are regardless of her sight detriment, and she's holding a torch already and her weapon seems to be on fire… I don't know Ruby I don't know."

Without much else to say the two focused once more on the fight in front of them.

Kishin was still thinning the pack ahead of her out, but her weapon wasn't on fire anymore, strange, and after a few more Beowolves fell she jammed the whip back into the ground making a clicking noise.

"So it _is_ the cane she was using earlier." Ruby thought aloud. "A cane/whip combo it's so cool…" She finished staring at the weapon as it cut down more Grimm.

Pyrrha giggled off to the side. "Close your mouth Ruby you're drooling."

Ruby immediately snapped out of it and turned away with a blush. "Was not." She mumbled before looking up. "Look out!"

 _With Kishin_

As far as the good hunter was concerned this fight was going fairly well. The beasts fell easily to the serrated whip, and they were steering as clear as they could of the flames around them. 'Some must be left alive to "spread the word" as it were.' She thought stabbing another beast in its glowing red eye.

"Look out!" A shout that sounded distinctly like Ruby sounded causing the hunter to pause. Unfortunately, the warning seemed to be intended for the hunter. She half-turned finding a large bear beast in front of her already mid swipe. Caught slightly off guard she rolled to the side, but the beast's paw caught her as she went sending her tumbling a few feet to the side.

Kishin could feel the blood coming from where the beast's claws ripped into her side.

Rolling to her feet the hunter found the bear charging at her. Dropping the torch in her left hand she quickly brought out the Evelyn and waited in a crouched position. When the beast was close enough for her to smell its putrid breath, she fired. Much like a certain rose-themed huntress the beast staggered back, and this time there was no aura to stop her. Without wasting any time, she plunged her hand deep into the bear's chest before pulling out whatever was inside it covering herself in blood and gore. As the beast fell, eviscerated, Kishin felt the wound at her side absorbing the blood and closing. Her jacket might need some stitching, but her person would be alright. 'Thanks to that damnable rapture rune I seem to be alright.' She thought to herself. The runes inscribed on her right arm helped her as they always had, but one of them brought up worse memories than most of the others. 'Damned crow.'

Looking back to the remaining wolves she readied her blade. "Go on warn the rest of your kind. Fear the flames and what it brings." She said watching the apparent leader howl before running off.

 _With Ruby and Pyrrha_

As the remaining Grimm ran off Ruby and Pyrrha ran over to the hunter. "Kishin are you alright?" Ruby asked worriedly.

"Hm? Oh yes I'm fine." She replied turning towards the arrivals.

"So that Ursa didn't sink its claws into you? That's a relief." She said letting out a breath.

"Indeed." Was the only answer she received. Mentally the hunter berated herself. 'Even now I still lose track of my surroundings when fighting. Failures like that will cost me more than just my person. At least in the future…"

Pyrrha was trying to piece everything together in her head. 'She claims to not be wounded but her coat is torn and there is blood everywhere… wait… since when do Grimm bleed?' She thought to herself as Ruby relayed the entirety of the hunter's fight and how cool it was to the hunter herself.

"Though I have to ask if you don't mind…" She paused waiting for an affirmative.

"…"

"… Right… well why set the forest on fire?" Ruby asked as another flaming limb fell to the ground near them. "And why're we still standing near the fire?" This one seemed to be directed to both women around her.

Kishin let out a sigh before turning and walking away. After a few steps she half turned towards the two. "Aren't you coming?" She asked before walking again.

Not wanting to stand in the middle of a burning forest, and not being able to really do anything about it personally, they didn't need any convincing to follow the odd hunter.

"Shouldn't we call someone about the fire before it spreads to the rest of the forest?" Pyrrha asked looking back.

"I'm fairly certain the headmaster has noticed or been notified by this point." Ruby said assuredly.

 _Meanwhile_

 _Ring Ring_

"… Hello?" asked a slightly tired and confused voice. "Do you need something Glynda?"

"Professor Ozpin the forest is on fire!"

"I'm sorry?" He asked not sure he heard her right.

"The Emerald forest next to the _school_ is on _Fire_!" She said again in an annoyed tone.

Sitting up to see out his window that overlooked the school he could vaguely see smoke and a glow from where the forest was. 'There goes a good night's rest.' He thought getting up and dressing. "Glynda call the Vale Fire Department and inform them of the situation. I'm heading up to the office to see if the cameras caught the cause of the forest fire." He said as he walked to the elevator.

 _Back with the odd trio_

"Fear." The hunter answered the rose's previous question after walking for a few minutes. She may not be able to see their faces, but she could tell they were confused by the random answer. With a small sigh she stopped walking and turned to face the two. "The purpose of the fire was to cause damage and kill the beasts yes, but it was also an attempt to instill fear in the remaining wolves." She elaborated.

"I don't know if it was wise to let the alpha go." Pyrrha added her two cents.

"And why not?" Kishin asked. She was curious if there was something separating the beasts she had faced compared to the new ones when it came to their natural instincts.

"Grimm learn over time yes, but letting the alpha go and allowing him to grow stronger might prove to be a mistake." The warrior answered.

"Even during the fight, they began to avoid the flames. If even a few more beasts come to fear the fire, then it should be worth it, and if it is truly an alpha then it will hold more sway than the smaller wolves."

"Why would it be worth it?" Ruby asked.

"Tell me have the beasts destroyed towns before? Or perhaps are there bandit groups out in the world?" She asked.

"Yes, and yes." The rose answered tilting her head.

"Both events could cause a fire either of panic or from pillagers. The beasts I've come across here seem to have an attraction to negative emotions. Am I incorrect in anything so far?"

Pyrrha and Ruby shook their heads in a negative.

"If even a few beasts are slowed down or deterred in one of those events as small a chance as it may be, then it will have been worth it. Even if it doesn't aid anyone but myself then it'll be fine. I use quite a bit of fire when combatting the beasts as you have seen." She gestured to the faint glowing from the direction they came from. 'Sometimes at least.' She added mentally. With those two here she had to be careful of how she fought.

Ruby seemed to accept her words easily enough. Pyrrha still had a question at the forefront of her mind.

"You're currently covered in… Grimm blood… does that not bother you?" What she really wanted to ask is how she made a Grimm bleed in the first place, but that question could be asked another time.

Kishin made it look like she was inspecting herself before looking back to Pyrrha and pointing to her eyes.

"Oh… but you can surely feel it can't you? It's on your face and in your hair." Ruby added on.

"Being covered in blood doesn't bother me. Not anymore at least." She added sending a chill down their spines. "Perhaps when I first began it troubled me, but I see it as fulfilling my job. If I come back from hunting clean, then I haven't been killing beasts."

"That reminds me of another question I've had on my mind." Pyrrha started carefully. "You keep calling the things you hunt beasts. Why not just call them Grimm like the rest of the world?"

Kishin paused again. She was doing that a lot tonight… it's really been a long day. She thought as it hit her that she had only arrived earlier that day. "A hunter hunts beasts. Beasts come in more forms than just the Grimm girl." She said bringing the nervous feeling Pyrrha had earlier right back.

"Do you mean like bad guys? Like criminals?" Ruby asked. Pyrrha couldn't tell in the dark, but she was a tad paler than usual.

"Some beasts take the form of man yes, and some men descend into beasthood." The hunter answered.

Ruby thought back to what Yang had speculated earlier. "Have you… you know… killed anyone?" She asked getting quieter as she went.

Kishin thought at this. 'I really shouldn't be opening up like this, but unfortunately they've piqued my curiosity. How will they respond I wonder…' "I've slain a few that still bore resemblance to what they used to be yes." She said thinking back. It started at Gascoigne, then went to Djura and his companion, to Alfred, to Henryk, the list went on… finally it ended on one who was in no way a beast, but still fell by her blades.

"How could you?" Ruby asked with tears in her eyes. She could barely make out the hunter turning her head towards her. "How could you take another's life."

"I didn't originally hunt people, but in time the duty was passed on to me. Regardless of how you may see things, in that nightmare it was nothing less than mercy." Kishin said gravely. "You both hopefully won't have to go through the experiences I did, but without witnessing or experiencing them for yourselves there isn't any possible way for you to understand." She said simply. With that she turned away from them. "We should head back I'm sure you both need sleep for the upcoming day." She said walking in the direction of the cliff.

Ruby and Pyrrha were both broken out of their shock. "Wait weren't you planning on hunting the entire night?" One asked.

"I was… but for the moment my thirst for battle has been quenched." She answered not faltering in her stride.

"Ah." Ruby said looking down as they followed the hunter.

It took about an hour to return to the stairs at the bottom of the cliff. They had noticed the sirens of the fire department's bullhead's flying around the fire attempting to put it out, but they paid them little mind. Silent as the grave the three returned to Beacon. The huntresses in training still processing what they'd been told, and the hunter doing something she hadn't done in a long time. Reflect.

They separated at the gardens much to the surprise of the crimson duo, but they didn't want to push too far right then, and they were both tired enough as it was.

Once she was sure she was alone Kishin approached the lamp and knelt down once more dissipating in a white mist.

 _With Ruby and Pyrrha_

The two girls quietly walked through the dorm building to their respective rooms. Once they arrived at their doors Pyrrha tried to find something to say but couldn't come up with anything. "Well… I suppose I'll see you tomorrow Ruby." She said turning towards her door. "Goodnight."

Before she could leave Pyrrha felt a tug on her sash. Looking back, she saw Ruby staring at the ground, one hand holding her crimson sash.

"Hey Pyr…" She started for the first time since they left the forest. "We should keep quiet about… what we talked about with Kishin. She seems to like her privacy and I think we pushed her a little too much tonight…" She finished looking up to meet Pyrrha's gaze.

"I think that would be wise. You may not have noticed but she paused occasionally as if debating answering certain questions, and she ended up answering them all, even if she was a bit vague at times." Pyrrha muttered the last part quietly. "It didn't seem like she lied to us either, if she did, she is an amazing liar."

Ruby smiled a little at this. "Thanks for coming with me to talk… it ended up being pretty fun." She said before turning to her own door. "Goodnight Pyr."

"Goodnight Ruby."

 _In the Hunter's Dream_

The hunter stood in front of one of the gravestones in the field of flowers. Mare stood next to her listening.

"Well…?" The good hunter asked half turning her head to look at the doll. "You suggested that I 'let it out' so what do you have to say to all of that?"

It was true that sensing the hunter's distress made her want to ease the burden like she usually did, but now that everything was let out, she wasn't sure she had an appropriate response. Human emotions could be so difficult.

"I do not have any personal experience with this kind of thing, but memories of the hunt will not just disappear. All around you you're reminded of your hunt in some way. Acceptance of your actions is the only thing I can suggest." Mare said in her usual monotone. "Onto these girls you mentioned…" A small hint of amusement was almost detectable in her voice. "I believe you've taken an interest in them. Perhaps not in the same way Gerhman took an interest in Hunter Maria, but you did mention them quite a bit in your story."

The hunter merely shook her head. "They will probably be the first I take to train. I still need to figure out this world's nightmare, but this one is on a global level not merely a city. I will need help loathe as I am to admit it." She said looking away from the grave she had been standing at. The name she had been staring at wasn't Gerhman's this time, but rather her other mentor of sorts. Eileen the Crow.

 **A/N: Well here it is. I'll admit this is a tad shorter than some of the other chapters, but I thought this was a good stopping point. Anywho what'd you think? I don't know how this really turned out in the eyes of the reader, but it was fun to write regardless. Although I wonder what Ozpin's camera saw. Hmmm.**

 **Anyways onto reviews.**

 **Like always thanks everyone for taking the time to leave a review whether good or bad it's always appreciated.**

 **Kreceir: There was a lot in your review. The aura question is still up in the air as far as you readers know even though I've already decided on how that will go. Yang has been acting odd hasn't she? She is stubborn as most of us know, and also overprotective, so with the hunter endangering Blake in their spar and Ruby's apparent admiration of the hunter she may be a bit on edge and not thinking completely straight. Although I do admit I may have overdid it a bit with her stubbornness, but it works with her character. As for Blake's suspicion... this is Blake we're talking about. Probably the biggest hypocrite in all of RWBY, so yeah her suspicion definitely seemed in character at least in my mind, and her heritage will quite possibly come up in future chapters. I see that you want to focus a lot on Kishin and we will, but I jump around in my stories so we will inevitably see a bit of everyone. Probably.**

 **Sacke110: Glad you've been enjoying everything and I've already discussed Yang above, but you're right. The fight scenes I'll admit are not my forte. I don't personally like reading long drawn out fights in just about anything, so I try to keep them short and with the hunter in particular somewhat different than the usual. The biggest thing I have to say is my view on the 'OC' thing. With a game like Bloodborne where you make the character yourself it'll be an OC no matter how you write it. It could be the stereotypical hunter, but that's no fun. I just mixed two characters I had and made the Kishin character.**

 **Dracus6: Wait and see.**

 **Multiple guests: Yes aura seems to make a person dependent on it and in some cases lazier. Just look at Qrow. He's a really cool character and all that badass stuff, but even in fights he can be... I don't want to say lazy, but like he doesn't take it seriously or whatever. Here's the next chapter. Hmm maybe a haircut would help dear old Yang out who knows.**

 **Carre: The only real question I saw in yours was RWBY meeting the doll and getting glimpses of Yharnam. All I can say is wait and find out.**

 **ThatOneRandomDude: I appreciate you taking the time to write your review. From the start I will say what I always do. If you don't like a story don't keep reading find something else. Next I will be the first to admit I've never read any lovecraftian pieces even though I want to, so did I write Flora and about insight in a proper Lovecraft way? No most definitely not. I wrote both to fit what I needed here. That said I agree the way these elements may act aren't true to the source. Now the OC as you all like to call it. Like I said I mashed two of my characters on the game together and made a character. The eye thing was spur of the moment more than anything else, that and it seemed like a good excuse for an arcane heavy character because let's be honest no one's first run was an arcane character** **. And this is a Soulsborne character at the end of their game, so yes she may be OP that's how it goes sometimes. Glad the grammar was good I'm stingy on that especially in my own writing, so that's good. I also worry about chapter lengths sometimes, so that's hit or miss at times. In finality I know you probably won't reach this chapter to see this response, but even so I won't be changing this specific character. Maybe use a different one for a future fic, and I'll definitely have to read some of his works. (Just got to get to a real damn bookstore)**

 **ZmbMadragon: Who can say? Ozpin said he wouldn't, but who knows if you can trust an old wizard.**

 **RESTIA: Ruby's knight maybe lol.**

 **That was the last one that needed an answer I believe. Again thanks to all who reviewed they do help out.**

 **Like always Follow, Favorite, Review, and whatever else you all do.**

 **~Laz**

 **Also one last thing I forgot. I don't have a cover image for this story yet, so if anyone wants to suggest one before I randomly find one then be sure to let me know.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or Bloodborne yadda yadda yadda**

Chapter 5: A Match made in Hell

 _The Next Morning_

Ruby groggily woke up with a yawn. 'Why did we think staying up and trekking through the forest was a good nighttime activity?' She asked herself as her eyes adjusted to the sleeping forms of her teammates. The girls had been asleep when she returned and after checking the time Ruby could understand why. 'They'll probably ask about where I was later, but for now…' She mentally left off as she rolled off her bed.

Put in a situation where she either had to wake up and catch herself or fall face-first on the floor, her adrenaline kicked in and she landed quietly. 'Shower time.' She finished her thought as she went about her normal morning routine.

After a while she emerged from the bathroom dressed and ready for the day. Now came her favorite part of the morning. With a devilish grin and a whistle in hand, she slowly approached her partner. Her sister was slowly waking, but Blake and Weiss were still deep in their peaceful slumber.

 _TWEEEEEEEEET!_

Were, is the key word. The horrendous sound got a jump from the resident secret ex-terrorist, a thrown pillow from the blonde brawler, and a scream of terror from the heiress.

"Good morning Team RWBY!" Ruby cheered. Internally she was giggling to herself. Her teammates were always so much… _fun_ in the mornings.

"Ruby I will melt that whistle and pour the molten metal into your hood if you do that again." The ice queen said with a glare.

"Aww _Weissss_ I didn't want anyone to oversleep. You know how important it is to be punctual for classes." Ruby said with a sweet smile.

"Do it again Rose, and you will regret it." Blake muttered as she slid out of her bed and walked towards the bathroom. Before she could get to the door there was a flash of yellow disappearing into the bathroom. "Yang No!" She cried as the door shut and locked in her face. "No… all the hot water…" She said pouting.

Ruby meanwhile just watched with a smile on her face. 'Wake up before Yang if you want hot water.' She thought to herself before turning to her bag.

"Where did you go last night?" Weiss asked from behind her.

"That's right you were gone for a long time." Blake stepped in.

"Well I went to talk with Pyrrha about some stuff. Then we ended up running into Kishin, and one thing led to another I guess…" She finished quieter than usual as she remembered how their night ended.

"Something happen?" Blake asked as she sat on her bunk.

"Not much… we did go hunt some Grimm in the forest though." Ruby said thinking aloud.

"Ruby?" Weiss called calmly.

"Yes?"

"Let me see if I understand this properly."

"Okay…?" Ruby replied, a nervous pit forming in her stomach. Weiss was too calm for this time of the morning. Blake slowly backing away in the background didn't help that feeling.

"You went out last night without any word to your teammates, met up with a dangerous stranger, and decided it'd be a good idea to go hunting _Grimm_ with said _stranger_ at _night?!_ " Weiss pushed a scowl already forming on her face.

"Yes. But!" She yelled as Weiss was about to retort. "Pyrrha was there too." She offered after a moment.

"Pyrrha being there doesn't help! I know you're talented and Pyrrha is… well Pyrrha, but you were running around a grimm-infested forest at night with a woman who not hours earlier dissected our team!" Weiss fumed. "Do you have any idea how dangerous something like that could turn out? Pyrrha or no!"

"Aww you care!" Ruby said throwing her arms around the heiress.

Weiss just groaned and removed Ruby from her person. "You missed the point of everything I just said! If you plan to do something foolhardy like that in the future at least have the decency to let your team know." She said offering no leeway.

"Alright I'll be sure to let you guys know." Ruby said holding her hands up placatingly. Just then the bathroom door opened.

"So where were you last night Rubes?" Yang asked as she toweled off her hair.

'Oh, here we go again.' Ruby thought in defeat.

 _In the JNPR dorm_

Team JNPR were waking up at a slightly more sedate pace than their sister team. That is until Nora decided it was breakfast time.

"REN! Wakey! Wakey! It's time for pancakes and bakey!" She said jumping on the poor boy's bed. Unfortunately, with Nora jumping up and down on his back he wasn't quite in the position to appease her.

"Help…" Came his muffled voice of the pink-eyed ninja.

Pyrrha being the dutiful friend she is decided to help. "Nora how can Ren make pancakes if he's acting as your springboard?" She asked with her usual smile.

Nora paused in her jumping and looked to the boy she was standing on. "Oh! Sorry Rennypoo!" She said quickly getting back to the floor.

"Thank you." Came his relieved voice.

"Of course."

"What's with all the noise?" Jaune asked as he sat up.

"Just the usual." Nora answered sweetly. "Now then. PANCAKES!" She yelled snatching up Ren's prone body and running off.

"Usual indeed." Pyrrha muttered with a small smile. They were too cute.

"Hey where did you go last night Pyrrha? You said you were going to ask RWBY something, and then just kinda disappeared. When I asked them, they said you and Ruby had gone off somewhere." Jaune asked getting her attention.

"Oh, I'm sorry if I worried you, we rather lost track of time." Pyrrha said scratching the back of her head.

"Well alright I know you can handle yourself, but where'd you girls go?"

Pyrrha frowned for a moment before answering. "We went to the garden and talked a bit. Eventually Kishin showed up and we talked some more. Before we knew it, we were hunting Grimm in the forest for a while." Pyrrha said with a fond smile. It had been a fun night all things considered.

"At night? Isn't that like really dangerous? Even for you and Ruby?" Jaune asked with worry in his eyes.

"While I'll admit in hindsight it may not have been the best idea, everything turned out well enough in the end." She said wondering what he meant when he mentioned Ruby. She knew of her own unfortunate reputation well enough, and Ruby was considered a prodigy to get into Beacon early… 'Now that I think about it, we're both kind of on a pedestal, aren't we?' She mused.

"Well if you say so." Jaune said with a small shrug. "We should probably get ready for breakfast and classes." He suggested.

"I think that's a grand idea."

 _The Hunter's Dream_

In the field behind the workshop Mare stood observing the hunter. In the center of the field was Kishin going through stances and attacks with her newest weapon. While she may prefer live combat to test herself and different weapons, she wanted to practice in the calm of the dream to familiarize herself with her old mentor's weapon if nothing else.

She smoothly switched between trick forms while continuing her assault on the invisible enemy. 'It truly is a beautiful weapon.' She observed as she took a moment to rest. After fortifying the blade as best she could with blood stones and some spare gems she had, it could easily hold up with her other weapons.

"Well done Good Hunter." Mare's voice came from behind her. "Keep it up and you shall surpass Gerhman's own skill with that weapon."

"I'm not so sure about that." Kishin said staring at the blade. "During our fight he wielded this in ways I didn't think possible… but perhaps I may reach him one day." She finished snapping the blade from the staff and folding said staff away on her back. With a small twirl she nodded before putting the blade to rest on her hip. "I should probably head back I'm not sure how long I've been in here." She said gesturing to the dreamscape.

"I haven't been to the waking world, so I cannot accurately provide an answer." The doll said bowing her head slightly. "I apologize."

"Raise your head Mare there is nothing to apologize for." The hunter said walking towards the doll. "Were it possible would you journey to the waking world?"

"I do not know." She answered. "As a construct of the dream I can't imagine the possibility of exiting the dream let alone exploring the waking world."

"Hmm I suppose not." Kishin thought aloud. "I'm sure once a new hunter is contracted, they'd be willing to tell you all about this waking world. They'd most certainly know more than myself."

"Perhaps." The doll offered. "If I may ask, what is it you plan to do this day?"

"At the moment I'm not sure. I need to continue to observe the prospective hunters, and I need to see what I can learn about this world. Preferably finding out a possible source of this world's nightmare. The contract maker claims to know nothing of the nightmare, so I need to have a look at things for myself."

"Do be careful Kishin. Despite your connection to the dream I've noticed you always seem to be in a rather foul mood after dying." Mare said in her usual tone.

Kishin just raised an eyebrow, for a moment it looked like her mouth twitched. She wasn't sure if Mare was serious or attempting to make a joke of some kind. "I will be careful."

Leaving the field, the hunter walked towards one of the graves. "Back to the land of the living." She muttered as she disappeared.

 _With RWBY_

"What're we doing this time?" Yang asked as the group headed towards Beacon's main tower.

"Professor Ozpin requested us at our 'earliest convenience'." Ruby said with the air quotes. "I don't want to make him wait too long."

Nodding in agreement the heiress stayed silent while Yang just huffed. Blake was reading as they walked. It still astounded the others that she could navigate her way around so well even with her nose buried in a book, but they'd never gotten a direct answer from her on that particular mystery.

"Two days in a row you'd think he's showing favoritism or something." Yang muttered to herself. It was their lunchbreak for crying out loud! Then classes resumed afterwards. This left them with like… _no_ free time during the day.

"Enough whining you brute, it is unbecoming."

"Stuff it, Ice Queen." Yang said blowing a raspberry.

"Calm down girls I'm sure it'll be quick." Ruby said trying to calm the two.

Without further incident the group made their way to the tower. After passing by the lady at the desk they shuffled into the elevator and rode up to the top floor. When they exited, they headed towards Ozpin's office door.

"Hmm should we knock?" Yang asked getting a shrug from Ruby.

"Might as well." She said more to herself as she knocked a few times.

"Come in." Came the headmaster's voice. "Ah Team RWBY just who I was waiting for." He greeted.

"Good afternoon. What'd you call us for today?" Ruby asked.

"It's rather embarrassing if I'm being honest. I need to speak with Kishin, but don't have any way to find her. Since your team has interacted with her more than most anyone else in the academy, I was hoping you may be able to shed some light on where she might have disappeared to."

"Sorry sir we haven't seen her since yesterday." Weiss said getting nods from the rest of the group.

"I see. Well I'm sorry to have taken time from your lunch. Miss Rose I'd like to speak to you privately. The rest of you are dismissed." Ozpin said. Ruby cast a nervous glance to her team who looked just as confused.

Taking their leave WBY left the two alone. Once the elevator doors closed Ozpin spoke up. "Miss Rose… when did you see Miss Kishin last?" He asked bridging his hands together.

"W-well last night." Ruby said with an uncertain smile.

"Yes, I noticed." He said cryptically. Before she could ask anything else another knock sounded. "Ah right on time. Come in." He called.

The door slowly opened to reveal Pyrrha. "You wanted to see me Headmaster?"

"Yes, with the both of you here I'd like to talk about your late-night escapades last night." He said making them grin nervously.

"Very well."

"Oh joy…"

"Last night I was woken up by Glynda fussing about a forest fire. While she handled and directed Vale's fire department, I decided to check the security feed from cameras in the forest. Imagine my surprise when I found footage of the two of you with our mutual friend Kishin wandering around, hunting Grimm, and setting the forest on fire." He said with a pause. "Would the two of you like to tell me how this all came about?" He asked with the barest hint of a smile.

Ruby and Pyrrha shared a look.

"I believe I can answer that question." A voice said from behind the girls.

Whipping around they saw the third member of their party.

"Ah Ms. Kishin I've actually had Glynda looking for you all morning. I'm happy you've decided to join us."

"Right… in answer to your line of questioning I came across these two last night." She started gesturing to the two girls. "I planned on going hunting, and I mentioned it at the time. After failing to discourage them from following me, I decided to ask if they knew of a good place to hunt. Ruby, I believe, mentioned the forest. After that a few fires were set, a few Grimm killed. That about sums it up." She said in her calm tone.

"I see. You said that you attempted to keep them from following you?" He asked.

"Yes, but they were persistent, and I don't have the speed to get away from someone like Ruby. Pyrrha was an unknown in the equation, so I wasn't sure what to expect out of her."

"Well at least it doesn't seem like you asked them to come along. What she said is true isn't it girls?" Ozpin asked looking to the silent students.

"Yeah…" Ruby said poking her fingers together. "We may have been a tad… uncooperative." She offered after a pause.

"The thought of hunting alone at night didn't sit well with either of us, so we decided we'd accompany her." Pyrrha added.

"Well I'm happy you wanted to make sure she was safe, but that was a risky thing to do. Onto other things. Why was a fire started in my forest?" He asked with a smile.

"Merely an experiment." Kishin answered.

"For?"

"We shall see."

"…" Ozpin let out a small sigh. "While I am glad everyone came back safe, I must ask you not to try that again in the future. Hunting the Grimm at night isn't recommended or something you're prepared for in your first year." He said directing his statement to the two students. "And I believe we talked about you not taking on students until we addressed your aura issue."

He noticed Pyrrha didn't respond to that, so she must've learned earlier.

"I did try to stop them, but in the end, they followed on their own." Kishin said sounding bored.

"Speaking of your aura was Glynda able to find you, or is she still looking?"

"I'm not familiar with any Glynda. I came here for another reason and noticed what was happening."

"Ah well that's not good." He said more to himself as he typed a few things into his scroll.

'We never did figure something out for communication did we?' Kishin thought to herself. So much to do, all at the same time.

"She should be here momentarily." Ozpin said before looking to the two students who had been silent for a while. "If you'd both like to return to your break then you may leave."

"Are you going to be unlocking her aura now?" Ruby asked ever curious.

"That is the plan as long as it is alright with Miss Kishin." He said looking towards the woman.

"It isn't why I came here, but very well. After that I'd like to discuss something with you." The hunter said getting a nod from the headmaster.

"Could we stay?" Ruby asked before quickly looking to Pyrrha. "Well I mean, could I? I don't know if Pyrrha would want to stay, I just kinda said we without really thinking about it and yeah…" She drifted off noticing everyone in the room looking at her.

Pyrrha had to hide a giggle behind her hand. "I'd like to stay as well if that is alright." She said after calming herself.

With that statement the three looked to the hunter.

"I'm not sure how much there will be to see, but so be it." She said before turning her head slightly to the door. 'Who is this then?'

"I'm sorry about this morning Glynda it would appear Miss Kishin made her way here on her own." The headmaster said to his assistant as she walked in.

"I can see that." She said before adjusting her glasses. "Now that she's here what did you request my presence for? And why are students here?" The blonde asked turning her strict gaze to Pyrrha and Ruby who did their best not to wilt under it.

"They're merely bystanders at the moment. What I need from you is assistance with unlocking Kishin's aura. I feel she'd be more comfortable if you did it rather than myself." The headmaster answered in his usual calm tone.

Glynda took a step towards the hunter. Kishin in response turned towards the strict witch. Glynda didn't bother to question the closed eyes as the two of them seemed to size the other up. Then much to his horror, both turned their gazes to the headmaster.

"You want me, a complete stranger, to unlock her aura?" "You wish for a stranger to try and unlock my aura?" They said at the same time. They both turned to look at the other in confusion before gazing back at the headmaster.

"If that isn't the most foolish/asinine thing I've ever heard." They said again.

'Oh Oum, now there's two of them.' The headmaster thought in horror.

Ruby's eyes were wide as she looked between the two. "Psst Pyrrha… am I going crazy?" She whispered as softly as she could to the girl next to her. In such a small room however it seemed it was still too loud, as the hunter and huntress redirected their gazes to Ruby.

"Did you have something to say for the betterment of the group Ms. Rose?" Goodwitch asked crossing her arms.

"Ahem." Ozpin coughed regaining the attention of the room much to the relief of the young rose. "I understand the two of you aren't acquainted, but I was hoping through this experience that would change. Miss Kishin will be a familiar face as she comes and goes, and aside from myself and the students I thought it'd be good for her to meet another faculty member. Preferably a less eccentric one." He said lying through his teeth. She was just the only one he trusted to do it. He wouldn't want a student to do it, and _he_ definitely wasn't going to do it if possible. Ancient magic and whatnot tended to cause unforeseen complications.

The only response to that was a glare from both women before Glynda sighed. "Very well sir. Shall we get this over with?" She asked looking to the hunter.

The hunter continued to glare towards the headmaster, but she too relented. "Yes, although I can't say what you may find through this, so do be careful." She said to the woman across from her. 'If need be, I should be able to push her out before anything drastic happens. If something drastic happens of course.'

Glynda took a step forward and placed one hand on the hunter's cheek and the other above where her heart was. Probably. She didn't know if her internal organs had moved any from the night of the hunt, the dream, or some other odd impossibility.

Glynda slowly started her mantra. "It is in growth we accumulate wisdom. Wisdom of the body, of the mind, and of the soul. By my wisdom I draw onto yours, and thus release the shackles on your soul."

 _Inside the hunter_

Glynda looked around the dark cavern she found herself in. 'It should be here somewhere, but where?' She thought before feeling a shiver run through her spiritual body. 'It feels like I'm being watched…' She thought walking forward slightly.

She couldn't place it, but something felt off. It unnerved her if nothing else.

The next thing she knew, her instincts were telling her to move, so she jumped forward. Turning around she saw a whiteish clear tendril where she had just stood. Following the tendril, she found a large almost writhing mass covering the entirety of the ceiling of the cavern.

'That's not aura…' She thought taking a step back. She didn't know why, but whatever this mass was it put her on edge. Suddenly another tendril shot towards her. She leapt away again and saw the first tendril moving her way. She continued to evade the tendrils as best she could before her back hit something solid.

Her eyes widened when she realized she was stuck. The two tendrils were getting closer, so she shut her eyes waiting for the hit, but after a few seconds she didn't feel anything. Opening her eyes, she saw the back of a familiar form in front of her with the tendrils sticking into her. Looking over her shoulder Kishin brought a hand up to Glynda's forehead. Had she been thinking straight she might've noticed the elongated nails.

"I do believe it's time you left." She said forcing the external presence from her soulscape.

 _Back outside_

Glynda recoiled and fell backwards much to the shock of three people. The fourth merely put a hand to her forehead. 'That could've ended badly.' She thought as the teacher in front of her opened her eyes.

What the group saw concerned them. Glynda Goodwitch known for being strict, cold, and always having a stoic mask on looked up almost in fear at the woman in front of her.

"What… was that?" She asked as she slowly got to her feet.

"What I was worried about." Kishin said looking off to one side. "I told them yesterday I probably didn't have an aura, and it would appear I was correct."

"I don't mean that… that thing what was it? And how did you manifest yourself in there?" In all her years of being a huntress she had never come across or even heard of something like this happening.

"…" Kishin didn't respond for a minute. "I can't say what you saw, but as for my personal manifestation, it _is_ my soul is it not? Of course I have a way inside. I needed to make sure nothing happened. It's good I did." She added on the last part as an afterthought.

"Glynda… what happened?" Ozpin asked slowly. He knew something had gone wrong, but just seeing and hearing cryptic pieces of conversation didn't help him solve this puzzle.

"I couldn't find her aura… then something attacked me. I don't know what would've happened if it hit me, but she… protected me from it, and then pushed me back out." Goodwitch said. Her eyes never leaving Kishin.

"Hmm you were attacked inside a soulscape…" Ozpin muttered to himself. He then looked to the two silent students. "Perhaps some part of her rejected you? Maybe if one of the students she knows were to try-."

"NO" Kishin and Glynda both shouted.

"Someone say jinx…" Ruby muttered to herself. She didn't really understand what happened since she wasn't an aura expert. Looking to her left she saw Pyrrha seemed to be in about the same boat she was.

Kishin and Glynda once again met gazes. "We will not be repeating this." Kishin started.

"It's too risky, _I_ barely got away I will not let another try and fail." Glynda added as they both glared at the silver-haired man.

"Fine we agreed that if it didn't work then we'd go from there." Ozpin said holding his hands up in surrender. "Glynda… since she won't be working with aura, I must ask your opinion. Do you think she'd be capable of safely taking on students as apprentices?"

The headmistress was silent for a minute looking at the woman who didn't make any sense to her. "I don't know anything about you aside from what I've seen from the forest debacle early this morning and your fight against Team RWBY yesterday. That said… you did help me. I don't know from what, but you did save me… While it may be irresponsible it fits with your modus operandi headmaster, so just this once I'll support this." She finished directing the end of her statement to the headmaster. "I hope you don't give me reason to regret this decision." She added locking gazes with the hunter once more.

"I will do everything in my power to maintain the safety of any future students I approve of." She said matching the witch's gaze.

Ozpin, Ruby, and Pyrrha just inched away slightly. 'These two are terrifying.' They collectively thought.

"Now then." Kishin started turning back towards the headmaster. "I wish to gain access to the school's library, and if possible, sit in on one of the combat classes."

The headmaster was silent in thought as a few things crossed his mind. With a tiny smile he decided what he would do. "Very well. Glynda here can lead you to the library, and once the time arrives can take you to her first combat class. Miss Rose and Nikos, I would recommend hurrying to lunch. If I'm not mistaken your next class starts in half an hour." He said glancing at his watch.

The girls' eyes widened as they quickly ran towards the elevator. Kishin and Glynda following them.

Once he was sure they left he let out a breath he had been holding. "I'm not sure I can handle two of them." He muttered as he refilled his coffee mug.

 _The Elevator Crew_

There was an awkward silence between the four in the elevator. Most of the awkwardness was felt by the younger duo.

Ruby looked to Pyrrha and met her gaze.

"You both seem rather tense." Kishin's indifferent voice almost made them flinch.

"Is something wrong?" Glynda asked raising an eyebrow.

Ruby and Pyrrha slowly turned their heads to look to the women behind them.

"We don't mean this in a bad way, but…" Pyrrha started.

"Alone you're both intimidating… together… you're terrifying." Ruby offered with a sheepish smile.

'Do they really think she's intimidating?' Kishin thought to herself. 'True she does have an aura around her, but it doesn't scream intimidation… hmm…' She mused.

The headmistress glanced towards the hunter who she couldn't get a read on. 'I understand a small amount of fear from what _I_ saw inside her, but why do _they_ fear her?' She wondered. It was no secret how most of the school saw her, and while she may not have liked the reputation, she didn't exactly do anything to discredit it.

Feeling the gaze of the blonde Kishin turned her head slightly. "I'm not sure what they're on about."

"Neither am I." She replied getting sweat drops from the two redheads.

'You _cannot_ be serious.' Ruby thought to herself. As soon as she heard the ding of the elevator, she took Pyrrha's hand and disappeared in a trail of rose petals.

"They seemed to be in a hurry." Kishin mused as she stepped away from the death machine. "Miss Goodwitch shall we make our way to the library?"

"Yes, I suppose we must." Glynda said walking out of the building.

"If it is too much trouble, I should get along just fine." The hunter said matching the woman's pace.

"No, it's nothing like that. It's merely been an odd day is all." She said with a small sigh.

"I usually wouldn't push, but after that earlier fiasco I wish to know. If you're willing to talk of course."

"Quite honestly most of it involves you." Glynda said throwing a sidelong gaze her way. "You're an unknown that appeared yesterday, and you've already made my job more difficult. Ozpin seems to trust in you, which is odd on its own, you don't seem to have an aura, and you were able to move about the campus without my notice. It's just… a lot to adjust to."

Kishin didn't answer immediately as they continued their walk. A few minutes later she finally broke the silence. "I can't provide answers for the first part of that rant… I knew the aura idea was a bad one as soon as they brought it up, but alas I had no choice in the matter. Finally, is the easiest part. I've had a lot of practice in moving around undetected." She offered.

"I've noticed." Goodwitch said getting a raised eyebrow. "In the times of silence, you don't make noise. I can't hear your boots on the ground or the rustling of your clothes as we walk. It is unnerving, but at the same time fitting."

"How is it fitting?" Kishin asked confused.

"You call yourself a hunter. I don't know what the title means to you, but I admit to digging into the huntsmen system, so I can safely say you aren't a huntress, a registered one at least. While we may fight the forces of the dark and shine the light for others to follow, a hunter like yourself would probably excel in the dark, in the art of hunting whatever your prey may be."

"Keep going like that and I might start blushing." The hunter said. She'd roll her eyes if she could. "But you aren't wrong. I'm more accustomed to the dark than I am the light."

"I had a feeling. It makes me wonder why you desire to take on students who are training to stand as beacons against the dark." Glynda said.

"I have a task I must accomplish, and unfortunately the scope of said task is too large for a single person. If possible, I'd do it on my own, but that isn't feasible at this moment in time." She answered.

"What kind of task?" Glynda asked curiously.

"That's part of the problem. I'm not exactly sure." Kishin said before pausing in thought. 'Why'd I admit that?' "Actually, I have a question for you now."

"I suppose it's only fair." The witch admitted as they entered the library.

Pausing to take in the library Kishin found the area she figured could help her most. History. As she made her way over, she continued. "Why do you not fear what you saw when you attempted to unlock my aura?" She said stopping.

"… I do fear what I saw. Be that as it may, I am not only a huntress, but a teacher as well. Adaption and acceptance are important parts of being a good educator. There are things I'd like to know, and questions I have, but I don't go digging into the lives of my students. I am there to listen and help if needed, but I'm not the nosy type. By that mindset I offer you the same courtesy."

"I appreciate the sentiment, but don't think of me like your students. I am merely a hunter. No Huntsman or Huntress." Kishin said as she looked at the rather small history section.

"Then don't refer to me as a student would. Glynda will be just fine. I feel old enough with the others in this school calling me by last name as it is." She said in slight annoyance.

"I take it the students aren't the only ones who call you Miss Goodwitch." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Some of the other faculty as well as some of the active huntsmen out and about." She answered.

"In a way I know how that feels. In return I ask you to call me Kishin. It is the only name I have, but I don't wish to be referred to as 'miss'." Kishin said. Mare came to mind, shortly followed by the students, and then the new contract maker. "I suppose Ozpin was correct. It is much easier to talk to you than it is him. Possibly because of the event earlier." She mused to herself. "Out of the… selection you have here." She said gesturing to the history section. "Which of these would be the best in terms of general world history?"

Pinning those initial thoughts in the back of her mind for later, Goodwitch looked through the books available. While it was really Bartholomew's area of expertise, she had a general mastery over most of the subjects offered in the academy since more often than not she'd be the one called in sub to for a class if the other professors were otherwise unavailable.

"Perhaps these two would be good." She said picking out two books. The first was _Remnant: The History_ and the second was _The Great War_. "Both of these should help in the area of general history. Although it does beg the question of your want for these texts."

Kishin chuckled as she took the books. "I seem to remember not more than a few minutes ago that you claimed not to be the nosy type."

"I never said a girl couldn't be curious." She jabbed back before realizing what she had done. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand. 'Where did that come from?'

"So, you do have more emotions after all. I was beginning to worry." She said as she started walking towards the librarian.

The Goodwitch just frowned and followed her irksome charge.

"I'm curious we've been at this for a bit. When is that combat class I'm supposed to observe?" Kishin asked as the blonde caught up to her.

The librarian was about to question the person checking out the books when the blonde walked up and continued speaking with her.

"It will begin in about twenty minutes, so after checking those out we should be on our way. Unless you'd prefer to stay behind and read?"

"That won't be necessary. I can read later." The hunter said looking to the librarian. "I'll need to borrow these books for a time."

The poor librarian was looking between the "shady" person and the blonde who had taken out her tablet and was typing away at something. "Right away." She said quietly.

With that done, they left the library and walked towards what Kishin could only assume would be a classroom of some type.

"What should I be expecting here?" Kishin asked as they entered the arena-like room.

"The students either volunteer to fight or are randomly selected to spar against each other. Matches end when one side's aura gets too low." Glynda responded.

"Will you be wanting me to do something, or am I merely here to watch?"

"I believe the whole point of this was observing was it not?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It is the purpose, but you never know. I just wanted to be sure of my role here today." The hunter said still looking around.

"Unless you'd like to do something else your role will be observation." The teacher said pushing up her glasses. "If you want to do something else then speak now before the students start to arrive."

"Observing will be just fine… but can I ask another question?"

"I believe you just did."

"How catty." Kishin said before pausing. 'Catty… I need to research that as well.' "Two to three things as it were depending on your answers."

"Go ahead."

"Who is in this upcoming class?"

"I had a feeling you'd ask that." Goodwitch said before pulling up the roster for the class on her tablet and showing it to the hunter. 'I'm still not sure how she can see what I'm showing her.' She thought. 'Perhaps it's connected to what I saw earlier?'

"Hmm so that's why he recommended this first class." The dream master muttered. "That makes the next question easy. Can you set up a few fights? There are some individuals I'm… curious about."

Glynda merely raised an eyebrow. "Who are they? We'll see if I can make it happen."

"I believe they were teams RWBY and JNPR?" Kishin thought trying to remember the second name.

"You're interested in the teams you've met thus far. I see. There are a few options." She said getting Kishin's attention. "We can throw their teams against each other all at once, or we can keep it to the singles matches, and not get through all of them today. While I'd like to accommodate your request there are other teams in the class, so they must be included as well."

'Hmm if they fight as a team then I can see some of what they can do, but it isn't as useful to watch as a single battle…' "Are there instances where the odds aren't even?" Kishin asked with a small smile forming.

"That possibility is there, yes." She answered. 'What is she planning… that smile can't be anything good.'

"What about two bouts of one-on-three?"

"There would be time for that." The witch said seeing where this was going.

"In order to see just what they can do how about the leader of one team facing the non-leaders of the other?" She suggested getting a frown in response.

"Perhaps Ms. Rose would be able to hang on for a little while, but I don't believe Mr. Arc would be able to handle something like that."

"Mr. Arc? Wait is the Nikos girl not the leader of her team?" Kishin asked with a confused look.

"No, she is not. If you originally meant her then she may be able to win the match."

"She is who I had in mind yes… was Arc the blonde one?" She asked hesitantly.

"Yes… why do you ask?"

With a sigh Kishin pinched the bridge of her nose. "Before I begin judging people further, why is he the leader? There must be something I'm not seeing in him."

"Aside from a large pool of aura, Mr. Arc's greatest strength lies in his ability to strategize. Even if he doesn't seem to use it very often." Glynda muttered the last part more to herself. "It was originally the headmaster's decision with potential and all of that."

The hunter remained silent and took a deep breath. 'You haven't seen them all fight, maybe your initial thoughts were incorrect. Pyrrha did say something similar last night. Yeah that's got to be it.' She repeated to herself. She didn't know who she was trying to convince, but for now she'd wait and see.

"Very well…" She said releasing the breath. "Are the one vs. threes doable, except with Pyrrha taking the spot of Jaune and vice versa?"

"They should be more even now yes, but I don't know if Ms. Rose will be able to win hers. Ms. Nikos has a higher chance, but she might fail as well."

"I don't care who wins, I more need to see where they are currently. I don't plan on taking many if any students, so I need to be sure of my choices."

"Speaking of that, I am curious as to what you'd be teaching them."

"I'd teach them what I was taught. How to become a hunter if they should so desire. I didn't have much choice in my decision, but they will have theirs." She said vaguely.

"That didn't really answer my question." Glynda said with a small glare.

"No, it didn't, but for now that is the only answer I can give." Kishin said before looking to the first arriving students. "My final question from earlier, where should I sit?"

"Oh no." The strict teacher said with a small smile. "You'll remain here with me for the duration of this class."

"I suppose I should've seen that coming." The hunter said in her indifferent tone. "Very well Glynda I will remain by your side."

"That's good to hear Kishin, now let's see about getting started, shall we?"

"Hmm."

Team RWBY entered together with JNPR behind them. Ruby and Pyrrha were the first ones from their teams to see who their teacher was standing with.

'Oh no…' Ruby had a bad feeling about this.

"This should prove interesting." Pyrrha muttered from beside her.

 **A/N: It took a bit longer than it should have, but here's the next chapter. For whatever reason I always enjoy writing Glynda. I don't even think I do it well, but it's pretty fun.**

 **Oh and the title was spur of the moment, so I'm curious how that was taken. I don't often name chapters anymore.**

 **Anyways how was it? I hope you all enjoyed, and again I apologize for how long this took to get out.**

 **Now I suppose it's review time? Probably.**

 **There weren't too many, so there isn't much to answer, but here goes.**

 **rwbybomb21: As far as romance goes I don't have anything planned. If something starts happening as I write then that's how most of the romances I write go. As for how old the hunter looks? She probably seems to appear in her mid to late twenties. Mentally of course she's older, but appearance wise it's mid-late twenties.**

 **sacke110: Yes... it wasn't very mindless was it? I suppose things didn't work out for her quite like she had planned.**

 **Those were the big two. For any questions I didn't answer all I can say is wait and see.**

 **Thanks to all the follows, favorites, reviews, etc. This is a pretty interesting sub-community, so it's cool to see what some of you think about how this is turning out.**

 **I'm probably forgetting something, but oh well. Thanks again and I hope you enjoyed.**

 **Follow, Favorite, Review, and whatever else you all do.**

 **~Laz**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own either of these sources.**

Chapter 6

' _Oh no…' Ruby had a bad feeling about this._

" _This should prove interesting." Pyrrha muttered from beside her._

"Wait what's she doing here?" Yang asked with a frown.

Ruby shook her head. 'She's still on about that… but she does bring up a good question. I don't think I wanna know the answer though.'

"Oh, it's the hunter lady!" Nora said happily as she skipped to her seat. "I wonder what she's here for."

"I suppose we will find out soon enough." Pyrrha offered as the rest of their team followed the merry grenadier.

"Stay calm Yang it wouldn't do to lash out with Professor Goodwitch here." Weiss tried to calm her teammate.

"She's here with the professor, so we shouldn't have anything to worry about right guys?" The mini reaper asked trying to stay positive. She knew Yang didn't like the hunter, but hopefully she could stay calm. Without any comments for or against Ruby's statement, the group followed their sister team and sat down. Now that she thought about it the rest of the team didn't seem too fond of the hunter at all. 'Oh well.'

Slowly other members of the class trickled in until the bell finally sounded.

"Good afternoon everyone." The professor called. "I would like to introduce you all to Kishin here. She will periodically be here to observe the sparring class. Aside from observation she likely won't interact with many of you." She said looking towards the hunter.

"Unless I personally seek someone out, we shouldn't have any further interactions." Kishin nodded.

"What's she observing us for then?" a brutish boy in armor asked.

Once again Glynda looked towards the hunter who in turn shrugged.

"It is to my knowledge that she may be taking on a few students for training. The specifics of that are, as of this moment, unavailable." Goodwitch said in her usual tone. Seeing Mr. Winchester about to speak up again, she leveled a glare at the boy. "Now first on today's schedule we have had two specially requested matches."

Kishin glanced at the headmistress. It wasn't her intention for the students to know she was the one behind the matches, but now it wasn't very hard to figure out. The almost smug look the woman next to her wore for a moment said everything it needed to.

"The first match will be a three-on-one match." She said bringing up the faces of the fighters on the screen behind her.

Ruby looked at the screen and gulped.

"The first match will be Ruby Rose from Team RWBY against Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie, and Lie Ren from Team JNPR."

'My gut feeling was right. So right.' She thought with a frown before standing and making her way to the locker room.

In the stands the remnants of teams RWBY and JNPR shared equal looks of confusion.

"I bet it was the hunter who suggested this." Yang said frowning towards the mentioned hunter.

"What reason would she have for doing that?" Her partner asked looking up from her book.

"Maybe it's to get back at her for what happened last night?" Yang suggested with a shrug. "Regardless she set it up making it almost impossible for her to win."

"I know there's three of them, but Pyrrha was left out, so it should be significantly easier than it would be against their whole team." Weiss said nodding to the champion near them.

"I don't think she's being punished." Pyrrha said turning to the row behind her. "I'm not sure what her goal is, but this is very similar to the format of your spar with her yesterday, is it not?"

WBY were quiet in contemplation. "Then what does that mean? What's she after?" The brawler asked in confusion.

Pyrrha merely shrugged before turning back around as her friends came back out in the arena. 'She said there were two special matches…' Half turning to the girls behind her she frowned. 'Unfortunately, I may know what's next.' She thought as she focused on the arena floor.

 _Arena Floor_

The members of JNPR stood to one side, Ruby alone on the other, and the Huntress/Hunter Duo in the center.

"This match while being unorthodox in style is always a possibility, so the rest of you would do well to remember that in future classes. Just like any other sanctioned match when one student's aura goes into the red, they are eliminated. Last side standing wins." Glynda said looking between the contestants. "Good luck."

Ruby was standing to the side gripping her baby tightly. 'What did I do to get put in a match like this?' She thought before glancing towards the hunter. She caught her gaze, or at least thinks she did, and was given a barely perceptible nod. 'She's pitted me up against three members of JNPR… wait… add in Pyrrha and it's a mirror of her own match with my team… and the professor said there were two matches… Is this a test?' She thought furrowing her brow. When she came back to the here and now the professor had just finished her explanation and was now looking between the teams. 'I'll just have to do my best… or does she want victory at any cost? What would she do?' She thought before giggling slightly getting odd looks from most of the class. 'She'd do what she could to win.'

With that last thought she bent her knees slightly and unfurled her scythe. She was ready for possibly one of her hardest fights yet.

Jaune was hesitant but decided to give it his best. Looking to Ren and Nora he knew they'd probably be fine. Add on his recent late-night training with his partner and he felt confident. All they needed to do was work together. 'Yeah we got this…' His thoughts trailed off when he looked at his fellow leader. Ruby had a small smirk and her scythe at the ready.

"You may begin." Glynda's voice sounded.

The rest of the class watched, and much to RWBY's shock their leader didn't charge in like usual.

'What will you do with the odds against you?' Kishin thought from the sidelines.

Nora was the first to move. She brought up her grenade launcher and started peppering Ruby's side of the field with the pink explosives.

Ruby jumped away from the first few and shifted her scythe into its gun form. Aiming quickly, she shot at one of the grenades just as it was leaving the launcher knocking Nora back with the explosion. Jaune was quick to move in front of his teammate and charge her. Ruby shifted her weapon back into its scythe form and got ready for Jaune's approach. 'Wait… where's Ren!?' She panicked as she felt small blades slash at her from behind.

She jumped to the side getting the two boys back in front of her. Allowing them to surround her seemed to be a bad idea. Idly she noted Nora getting up to Jaune's left.

'This is going to be rough.' She thought before shooting towards Ren. The ninja's eyes widened slightly at her approach before she repositioned her scythe and fired shooting her a different direction. Jaune's eyes widened and he quickly brought his shield up when he realized he was her target.

She landed feet first against his shield and hooked her scythe on its other side pointing the smoking barrel towards Jaune's face. "Uhh mercy?" He asked with a sheepish grin.

"Maybe next time vomit boy." She said before pulling the trigger and separating the boy from his shield with the bullet to the face. Before his teammates could retaliate, she hooked the scythe around the shield and fired another shot flinging the shield into the stands. Luckily it landed close enough for Pyrrha to catch it before it gave anyone a concussion.

'Smart.' Kishin mused as the blonde slowly stood up shaking his head before rejoining his teammates. 'What now girl?'

"Alright we need to work together on this. Ruby isn't pulling her punches." Jaune said getting the attention of his teammates. Ren nodded while Nora gave a noncommittal grunt. She didn't like her own pretty explosives blowing up in her face.

Ruby watched the three carefully. 'Nora hits the hardest and she's like Yang when she loses her temper. Ren is the fastest of them but has the lowest amount of aura. Finally, Jaune just lost his shield, as long as Pyrrha doesn't throw it back in, which she might actually do… that'd have made that last move almost useless.' She thought with a frown.

Across from her JNR was seemingly ready to move. Nora charged with her hammer ready to "break some legs". Jaune seemed to be following and Ren was circling around again.

Ruby unloaded her current clip before exchanging it for her cross shots and chambered the first bullet. With a short kinda insane plan she opened her eyes and grinned to the charging hammer-wielder. She quickly started running to meet Nora's charge and activated her semblance when half the distance was closed.

Nora brought her hammer back to knock the incoming rose away. Unseen by the others Ruby's grin widened. 'Let's hope this works.' She thought jumping straight into the head of the hammer feet first. She pushed the hammer slightly back before the Valkyrie pulled the trigger propelling the hammer forward knocking Ruby back. She looked on in confusion as the girl pushed off with the hammer and started firing behind her picking up speed.

'She's heading straight for…' "Ren!" She shouted as the red blur made contact with her partner. Ren was sent straight into the wall leaving a small indent. His aura flickering the buzzer sounded.

"Lie Ren is eliminated." Came the almost shocked voice of their teacher.

Ruby on the other hand had tumbled and rolled across the ground and was slowly getting up. "Okay…" She grunted getting to her feet. "That hurt." She muttered looking up to the scoreboard. Ren's aura was right at fifteen percent, so her plan worked, but looking to her own gauge she found it sitting around thirty percent. Jaune's was around seventy and Nora was closer to sixty. 'The odds don't appear to be in my favor.' She mused as Nora renewed her furious charge.

Standing up straight she looked around to try and figure out what to do. 'Nora is full-on berserker now and Jaune is trying to call out to her, but still behind her…' "Come on Nora!" She called out making said girl snarl.

"Nora wait!" Jaune called out to no avail as she charged the mini reaper.

As she got closer Ruby watched as she slowed down to swing her hammer. Once the hammer hit the top of its backswing, she darted forward and slid under her arms using the recoil from her gun to increase her speed. Getting past Nora, she ran straight towards Jaune who held his sword in both of his hands. When she was close enough, she brought Crescent Rose around in a diagonal arc. Jaune tried to block with his sword and managed to let the attack slide into the ground.

She quickly twisted her body around her weapon and used the leverage to land a kick on the blonde knocking him off balance. She pulled her scythe from the ground and swept low knocking Jaune's feet out from beneath him. Standing back straight she prepared another attack when an explosion went off directly behind her throwing her across the arena.

Ruby blinked groggily as she heard the buzzer go off. "Ruby Rose is eliminated. The winners of this match are the members of team JNPR."

"Damn…" She mumbled sitting up. Looking to the scoreboard she saw her aura down to twelve.

"Good match everyone. Ms. Rose you did well in your given situation but were also reckless and lost track of your opponents twice. Mr. Arc and the rest of your team, it would be beneficial to take a fight seriously from the beginning. Your unpreparedness allowed the loss of your shield and one of your teammates. That is not to say Ms. Rose didn't perform well, but this could've been handled better on your part. A more in-depth review will be sent to your school accounts." Goodwitch said as the group made their way back towards the changing room.

Nora was giving Ruby the evil eye, but Ren drew her attention away as was his specialty. Jaune offered a short good match as he went to collect his shield from where Pyrrha tossed it after the match.

"For our next match will Pyrrha Nikos prepare to face Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao-Long."

Ruby looked to Pyrrha and then to the hunter who gave another small nod and, if her eyes weren't playing tricks on her, the hunter's lip twitched upwards making Ruby smile in return.

As she passed by Pyrrha she slowed. "Good luck Pyr." She said with a smile. Pyrrha returned the smile before frowning for a moment.

"Aren't you going to be cheering on your own teammates?" She asked.

"You're the one with the odds stacked against you, and if you didn't notice my team wasn't very cheery either." She shrugged before continuing back to the stands.

Pyrrha paused. 'They weren't cheering, were they? Weiss and Blake aren't the type to cheer in general, but Yang was oddly quiet as well. Strange.' She thought to herself before shaking her head. 'This will be tough. Nothing against my team or Ruby, but all of her teammates have realized and trained in their combat-oriented semblances.' "Tough may be an understatement." She muttered as she got prepared. As she prepared a final thought passed through her head. 'Perhaps this is what the hunter meant… Ruby was able to fend off against three of my teammates on her own for a little while, and with her team there… even my presence might not be enough to match them…'

After a few minutes had passed everyone was now in position. Ruby and the majority or JNPR were back in the stands looking down at the arena floor. Blake, Weiss, and Yang were facing off against the Mistralian champion.

"It might be three on one, but don't think this means we're going easy on you." Yang said with her usual grin.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Pyrrha responded with a small smile before letting her face fall blank and adopting her usual stance.

"This match has the same rules as the previous one. Are all competitors ready?" Glynda asked getting affirmatives from the students. "Then you may begin."

'What will you do Pyrrha?' Kishin mused. Looking into the crowd of spectators she was mildly pleased to see Ruby's complete focus on the match, although that held true for most of the rest of the class as well.

Pyrrha stood at the ready and watched her opponents. Predictably enough, Yang was the first to come at her. Shifting her weapon to its rifle form she fired a few potshots at the approaching girl before switching back to her sword and meeting the blonde's attack. Yang was a brawler at heart, and it showed in her quick and aggressive boxing style. Knowing better than to let her get too close, Pyrrha made use of her sword's reach keeping the blonde girl at bay.

Yang threw multiple jabs and hooks at her opponent, but Pyrrha just kept dodging and blocking her punches with ease. When She made to block another punch with her shield, Blake made her move appearing behind her slashing at the champion's back, but all she met was the metal of the girl's sword. Before she could attack again, she had to replace herself with a clone to take Pyrrha's kick.

Weiss near the back was preparing a gravity glyph beneath the champion. When it activated both her teammates went in to capitalize. Pyrrha quickly saw what Weiss was doing, and subtly redirected Blake and Yang's attacks, so they'd be easier to deflect. As a result, Yang's punch slid down her shield into the ground, breaking the glyph, and Blake's cleaver slid off to the side. Acting quickly Pyrrha wound her arm back and shot her shield at the heiress.

Weiss' eyes widened before jumping to the side. When she came up, she was looking at Pyrrha not noticing the circling shield.

"Weiss look out!" Blake called confusing the heiress.

She turned around only to get knocked down by the shield. Pyrrha quickly leapt past the blonde and recovered her shield. Bringing it up she blocked another attack from Blake. Pyrrha kicked low in a leg sweep, but Blake jumped above her foot. With the secret Faunus in the air, Pyrrha pushed with her shield to send the girl away. Blake moved with the push and landed gracefully near her blonde teammate.

The combat paused as the two sides took stock of the situation. During the pause Weiss returned to her team's side with a scowl on her face. Pyrrha took the time to gaze at the scoreboard. Weiss was obviously lower than her teammates, but she was still sitting at sixty-five percent. Blake was closer to eighty, and Yang hadn't left the upper eighties. Her own aura gauge read eighty-five percent.

'As I thought this isn't a fight I'm meant to win.' Pyrrha mused before her eyes widened. Straightening her stance, she put her weapons to her side and turned to the professor and hunter. "I forfeit." She said surprising everyone.

Ruby's own eyes widened to comical levels staring at her friend's back. Glynda's surprise was better hidden before disappearing entirely. With a nod she looked to the RWBY girls. "The winner of this match by forfeit is the members of RWBY. Ms. Schnee, while it was a good idea to lock your opponent down with a gravity glyph, remember that should they escape you need to be ready for whatever your opponent may do next. That goes for everyone else as well. Always have a plan ready for when your first one inevitably fails. Ms. Nikos, it was tactically smart to retreat when you're in an unwinnable situation but remember that there won't always be an option to do so."

Pyrrha nodded before glancing towards the hunter. Kishin merely tilted her head slightly before whispering something to Glynda.

"I would like to ask Ms. Nikos and Ms. Rose to remain after class has ended. Now moving on the next match…"

Pyrrha smiled slightly as she tuned out the professor. 'I hope she isn't too mad.' She thought before heading back to get changed.

'Pyrrha… you made losing look good.' Ruby pouted from her seat. When her team returned, she offered a subdued congratulations before beckoning Pyrrha over. When the champion walked over with an innocent smile Ruby, still pouting, gestured to the seat to her left.

"Yes Ruby?" She asked when she sat down.

"Pyrrhaaaaa…" She whined quietly. "Losing like that made me look bad in comparison."

The girl in question rolled her eyes with a small smile. "Don't be ridiculous, it is admirable to fight to the bitter end, even in the face of defeat."

Ruby just flopped dramatically on the taller girl's shoulder. "Even your condescending compliments bring me no relief." She sighed.

"Why Ruby I'm hurt you'd ever think I was being condescending with praise." The amazon replied in kind. Both girls looked at each other for a moment before they both started giggling.

Teams JNPR and RWBY, to their front and right respectively, eyed the two in slight confusion.

"I didn't know you were both so close." Jaune said in confusion.

Ruby and Pyrrha shared a look before turning to their apparent audience. "We've never been at odds with each other, but I suppose we've gotten closer recently." The champion offered.

"What brought this on sis? I've been trying to get you out of that shell of yours for years." Yang looked on curiously.

"I don't have a shell." Ruby muttered to herself before looking to the people below them. "We shared some interesting experiences. That's all." She said letting the group fall into silence. The rest of the period the teams silently did their own things to pass the time. The silence was only interrupted every so often by Ruby or Pyrrha muttering one thing or another to the other about the current fight taking place below them.

Once the period ended most of the students left for whatever they had to do next. Pyrrha and Ruby headed down to where the teacher and hunter were waiting for them.

"I can handle this if you have other responsibilities to attend to." Kishin said looking towards the headmistress.

"No, it's fine, if it's alright I'd like to hear what your comments on their fights are. I need to make sure you don't go corrupting our students." She said calmly.

"I have no problem with your presence." The hunter said before turning to the two students. "Before I begin… what was the purpose of those blatantly uneven fights?"

Ruby and Pyrrha looked at her for a moment before looking to each other.

"I think this was some kind of test." Ruby started slowly. "The fights were both similar to the setup of your fight with my team yesterday, except we were in your position."

"If I had to make an educated guess, on top of what Ruby said I believe you wanted to see how we would respond to a situation where we are outnumbered, and the odds are against us." Pyrrha added.

Kishin nodded. "That was part of it yes. This also showed me more of your fighting prowess. At least more than what I witnessed in the forest last night."

"Wait… were you watching us fight at some point?" The crimsonette asked.

"Yes, when our group first separated and you both found yourselves surrounded by beasts, I was curious, so I observed your fight." She said matter-of-factly. "Moving on, what did you both do wrong in your fights today?"

The two thought quietly while Glynda looked on, curious as to what answers they'd reach.

"I let my opponents get behind me into a blind spot twice. I also was really reckless when I came up with the idea to take out Ren, but I think the worst thing I did was before the fighting started." The cloaked girl paused. Glynda and Pyrrha both looked on in confusion, and the hunter in expectation.

'What did she do at the start of the fight?' Pyrrha wondered looking to the faces of their two 'instructors'.

Looking directly to the hunter Ruby took a deep breath. "I shouldn't have let my nerves get the better of me… Because of that I lost valuable time to come up with a better plan that may've led to a win." She finished receiving another small nod.

"And what were your errors Pyrrha?"

"… While I stand by my decision to surrender, I think I could've continued fighting to find some weaknesses for the next time if I am to fight any of them again." A nod was all she received before continuing. "The fighting itself went well, but I didn't have a good plan on how to remove Blake from the match without her teammates getting in the way. Had she not attacked after I retrieved my shield, I probably could've taken Weiss out of the fight."

Glynda observed passively. Internally she was impressed. 'They both gathered more from their fights than I ever imagined they would, Ms. Rose especially, was surprisingly astute in her observations. The only question is where did that come from? Or perhaps… was it there all along and she was merely hiding it?' The Goodwitch mused.

"Impressive." Kishin said with a small smile. "Very impressive. You both did well in regard to your situation, but as you have said there were things you could've done better. You'd both do well to remember that your mind is one of the most important aspects of combat. All the physical ability in the world means nothing if you don't have the ability to utilize it effectively. A (relatively) healthy and functioning mind is what separates us from fighting like the beasts we hunt. Although there are always exceptions, so keep your minds open."

"Why did you wish to test us specifically?" Pyrrha asked after a moment.

"You're very observant. I admit that the two of you have caught my interest. In ways you may or may not understand you both stand out among your peers. Like the class was told I am looking out for perspective hunters to take on as apprentices. As such, I am observing if either of you would be capable of carrying the title of hunter."

"What does that title mean for students like these two?" The teacher asked raising an eyebrow.

"I have told you already. I am a hunter. Simply put a hunter must hunt. I mentioned a task I must complete earlier. Their ultimate purpose as hunters will be to assist me in figuring out not only what this nightmare is, but how to end it. That is my, and by relation, any other hunters' task."

"What happens when you fulfill that task?" Ruby asked filing that 'nightmare' part for later.

"Currently I don't know. I could be given another task or be made to do something else. Depending on what happens this will also affect those who hunt along side me. If you become a hunter then you'll be signing a contract. At the end of the contract there can either be a renewal or a termination. Specifically speaking I do not know."

"So, you want to make us hunters?" Pyrrha finally spoke again.

"No." She said surprising the others. "At this time, I am seeing if you both have the capability of becoming one. If I find you do, then you are given a choice. I've told your headmaster this, but I wasn't given much choice when I became a hunter. I've seen what happens to a person when they aren't able to handle the job, and I've dealt with them accordingly. I wouldn't wish the title of Hunter on anyone let alone children, but in the future, I will need assistance. There is no backing out once the contract is signed, so I must be absolutely certain in my selection." She finished turning to leave. "Make no mistake, the job of hunter is a thankless one. Especially my own." She said with a pause. "After all I am the last Hunter of Hunters." She left the room in silence. 'Don't persist in this endeavor.' She thought towards the two. 'Nothing good will come of it.'

Of the three people still in the room Glynda was the first to recover. She spared a glance to the silent students before leaving the room in a hurry.

Ruby and Pyrrha remained where they stood for some time in silence.

 **A/N: Well it's taken a while, but here it is. For those wondering about the other stories fear not they're still in the queue so to speak, but I am busy with school right now, so no promises on timing.**

 **That aside, how was it? I will continue to stand by my utter hatred for writing fight scenes. I just don't think I'm good at them and reading long-winded ones gets tedious, so for any who didn't like those I completely understand. What's the Hunter's game I wonder.**

 **Anyways review time:**

 **The two I feel the need to answer right away is don't worry about Jaune. Just don't worry about him.**

 **The next is Mare. A good point is brought up. The messengers have the ability to go between the waking world and the dream, so what's to stop Mare from doing something similar? I have reached my answer on this subject, but I wonder what you all think.**

 **Thanks for all the reviews, a few of them gave me a good laugh. I also learned a new bit of Swedish language, so that was cool.**

 **You all know the drill, Follow, Favorite, Review, and whatever else you all do.**

 **Laz out.**

 **P.S. How does no one correct me on misspelling Gehrman's name every chapter after the first? Call me on that shit.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or Bloodborne**

Chapter 7

After her latest conversation with the hunter Glynda immediately went to the headmaster's office.

"Ah, Glynda what can I do for you?" The man in question asked before taking a sip from his mug.

"Professor Ozpin I'm seriously considering rescinding my approval of Kishin's involvement with the students." She said glaring at the man.

The old wizard merely raised an eyebrow in question. "Has she done anything to make you reconsider your decision?"

"You were probably watching the cameras in the combat room during my last class were you not?"

"I was." He offered.

"Then you know of the matches she set for Ms. Rose and Nikos."

"Of course."

"The matches themselves were perfectly fine, and even afterwards when she called the two to stay after class there weren't any problems. I was personally surprised at the depth of both Ms. Nikos and Ms. Rose's reflection regarding their individual matches, but that isn't why I'm here. After speaking to them Kishin admitted that they had both caught her eye as possible hunters. That's all well and good, but she left the three of us saying the job was a thankless one and that she was the last Hunter of Hunters. The final part is what worries me when thinking of her taking on students." She finally got out.

"I suppose that is why she was so picky about future hunters." The headmaster mused more to himself than to Glynda.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Think about how she talked about the job. Was she trying to advertise her desire to take on students?"

"Well no. No, she seemed to want the opposite." The witch admitted.

"I think she is worried about the exact same thing you are." He said receiving another questioning look. "She is very tight-lipped when talking about things concerning hunters, and she has a certain reverence towards the position. At least from what I've noticed. What you've told me along with what I've been told regarding certain dangers to being a hunter make me think that she'd rather not have any apprentices."

"Yes, she said as much earlier."

"I believe the reason is that she is the last of these Hunter of Hunters. It is only my guess here, but I'd bet she doesn't want to see one of the hunters she has personally trained fall off whatever specific path they travel because that would mean it falls to her alone to fix that mistake. Permanently by the sound of it." He said sitting back in his chair.

"Earlier she mentioned that she would prefer to handle whatever it is she's supposed to do alone, but the scope of the assignment was too large for one single person." She said thinking about their earlier conversation.

"Did she happen to mention what this assignment was?"

"Nothing specific no."

'Interesting… what is this nightmare she's supposed to end?' "Well after thinking it over with a clearer head are you still opposed to Miss Kishin taking students?"

"I'm… not sure, but I plan to keep a close eye on our guest." She said turning around.

"I wish you the best of luck with that." Ozpin said with an amused smile as he watched her leave.

 _With Ruby and Pyrrha_

Shortly after the teacher left the two looked to each other.

"Well… that was a thing." Ruby said quietly earning a quiet chuckle from the Amazon.

"Indeed, I believe it was. She's giving us an out you know." Pyrrha said in a matter of fact tone.

"Yeah… I know. Whatever must've happened with her first contract must've been pretty bad. You remember what she was like last night."

"It's not only that, but she's given us a reason now as well." The champion said leaning against the nearby wall.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked tilting her head slightly.

"She mentioned last night that she had killed people before… some of those she may've been close to, and a few minutes ago called herself the last Hunter of Hunters. Any future hunters will be trained by her, or at least that's what it sounds like, and as the last Hunter of Hunters if any… descend into beasthood, I believe she said, then it is her job to slay them." Pyrrha said looking off towards the door.

"She has an odd way of showing she cares." The rose muttered looking to the door as well.

"If she didn't care she would probably take any skilled volunteers on as apprentices. The fact that she cares enough to try and sway us away yet is still taking an interest in us is flattering in its own way." Pyrrha admitted.

"I didn't think you liked all the admiration and flattery and stuff that comes with being famous."

Pyrrha finally looked back to the other girl. "How'd you know that?"

"Well when we were talking about it last night you didn't seem to really like the names your fans and sponsors gave you or whatever, but who knows maybe I'm just reading too much into it." Ruby quietened and looked to the floor scuffing her boots lightly on the ground.

"You're deceptively perceptive." She said with an amused smile.

"It's not like I try to be! With my usual 'bubbliness' as Yang calls it people just think I'm a gullible and super innocent little girl, and usually I'm just too shy to mention whatever I might notice. That's part of why I like weapons so much. I can really look into the weapons and asking about those aren't usually as weird as something like this conversation!" Ruby said with a frustrated pout. "That comment more slipped out than anything else."

Pyrrha frowned for a moment before bringing her hand forward and lifting the other girl's head to look at her again. "Ruby you shouldn't be afraid of being observant. Most of your team aren't aware of this part of you, are they?"

"I'm not even sure Yang's aware of it at this point. I stopped asking deeper questions a while back. She probably thinks I've grown out of it or whatever." Ruby shrugged with a frown. "I just don't want to be stepping on anyone's toes or anything. I mean look at the Blake fiasco at the end of the last semester. I'd been wondering about her bow ever since I noticed she slept with it on, but I didn't want to push the issue, and she wasn't forthcoming on anything personal, so I didn't ask. I didn't immediately think Faunus though." She trailed off in thought. "It really was obvious looking back on it."

"They say that hindsight it 20/20." Pyrrha offered helpfully before getting serious again. "Is this side of you the regular one or is it something else?"

"Yep this is just Ruby Rose at her core. Hi, I like killing monsters looking at weapons and want to know why you thought to stop at legs and an arm with your armor. I mean if you're gonna go armor might as well go full protection."

Pyrrha for her part just giggled into her hand. "I'm guessing you've never been the most subtle person."

"Speaking of subtle how're you and Jaune?" Ruby asked raising a smug eyebrow.

The champion blushed and coughed to clear her throat. "We're just friends and teammates."

"Mhmm, but yea that's another reason I hide it. You've seen my weapon, subtle isn't in my repertoire."

"I've always believed weapons are a good reflection on a person, so I can see what you mean. Anyways, if you wanted to act more normally around your team then I'm sure they'd be receptive to it."

"Maybe, but we've already been together for over half a year. Wouldn't it be weird if your teammate just started acting different one day?"

"Perhaps, but it'll be even weirder the longer it takes for that change to happen." She argued.

"Not if that change never happens." Ruby said looking away again. "It's been like this for years Pyr, I'm fine with it really."

Pyrrha sighed and backed down for now. "Well when it's the two of us together I'd prefer if you act like you normally would. I don't care if you're as subtle as a bull in a teashop. If I'm making a friend, I'd like to know the real them. Besides whether you realize it or not you've shown this side to both Kishin and Professor Goodwitch."

"I know, but it just came out under that expectant gaze of hers." She said simply.

Pyrrha thought back to the earlier conversation before her eyes widened. "Earlier when I was explaining what Kishin meant you already knew didn't you?"

"I've been playing dumb a long time Pyrrha." Ruby offered with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Yep that's it you're acting like the real you around me and that's final." The champion declared.

"I don't get a say in this?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. When she didn't receive an answer she just laughed lightly. "Alright Pyr on one condition, I'll be me around you if you promise not to talk to any of the others about this. This is my life and I want to make my own decisions. Mistakes and all."

"Very well." Pyrrha sighed before checking her scroll. "We are extremely late to our next class." She observed.

Checking her own scroll Ruby's eyes widened. "Weiss is gonna flip." She muttered before walking towards the door. "Come on Pyrrha the professor holding us back excuse will only fly for a certain amount of time."

Pyrrha didn't say anything but followed along. On the way towards Professor Peach's class they both knew that while parts of the conversation were unpleasant it still served its purpose. A distraction from the issue presented by their hunter friend? And what they were going to do about it.

 _A few days later_

Things have been normal for Teams RWBY and JNPR. Classes, the occasional Grimm, and getting prepared for the upcoming dance. It had been a few days since anyone had really seen the hunter, so Blake had returned to her hunt for the White Fang much to her team's dismay.

Currently the members of RWBY are all in their dorm room preparing for the day.

Yang and the others were ready and waiting for Weiss to finish her shower. "So…" She started eyeing the other two in the room. "Are either of you bringing dates to the dance." She asked without looking directly at the other two.

'Subtle.' Ruby thought before shaking her head. She might be spending too much time with Pyrrha if she was thinking of voicing that thought. "Yang… you're not allowed to be team mom! Don't go scaring off Sun and Neptune!"

"You speaking for yourself or our teammates?" Yang asked with a grin.

"Teammates obviously. The only one I'd want to take with me is my baby." She said crossing her arms over her chest.

"I wasn't only asking about guys you know?" Her sister continued.

Ruby tilted her head in slight confusion. 'What's she on about now?' "What?"

"Well we know that Pyrrha is pining for blondie's attention, but I've noticed you and her spending a lot of time together recently." She said with her grin growing.

'… we just usually talk about stuff or spar on occasion.' "Yang Pyrrha's a friend. I'd be fine going with her I guess." She shrugged.

Yang sighed at her sister's innocence. "That isn't what I meant… what about you Blakey?"

"I still don't see the importance of a dumb… dance." She said with a yawn. "We have more important things to be worrying about."

"You worry yourself anymore and you'll be six feet under." Yang muttered loud enough for the others to hear.

"Like I was saying." Blake paused to glare at her partner. "I won't be wasting precious time on a dance."

Ruby just sighed to herself. 'What're we going to do with you Blake?'

Weiss came out shortly after that and the group left for breakfast.

When they all sat down with JNPR the usual morning conversations were started. Ruby and Pyrrha were talking about something to do with weapons. Nora was enjoying her pancakes while trying to swipe Ren's. Jaune asked Weiss out again, and Yang and Blake were rather silent during their meal. That is until Nora got everyone's attention.

"Hey, have any of you guys seen that Kishin lady? I haven't seen her since the combat class the other day, and I haven't been able to ask her about the lantern thing." Nora asked.

Pyrrha looked to Ruby who just shrugged. "We could probably ask Professor Goodwitch. Aside from us and the headmaster she's probably one of the only other ones to have interacted with her." The reaper said.

"What was that whole thing about anyways?" Jaune asked the two girls. "Neither of you were very chatty about it when you got back."

"We talked about the fights themselves and things we could've done better." Ruby said easily while nibbling on her breakfast cookie.

"Is that all it was?" Weiss asked raising a dainty eyebrow.

The two shared another look. "Pretty much. Sorry if you were expecting more." Pyrrha apologized.

"Why do you want her back around anyways Nora?" Yang asked the overexcited hammer wielder.

"To ask about the lantern thing!"

"Lantern thing?" Weiss asked again.

"She's been looking for Miss Kishin for the past few days because she lit the lantern in the garden." Ren clarified.

"We have a garden?" Yang asked before shaking her head. "What's so special about lighting a lantern?"

"Until recently the lantern was always unlit. Beacon staff couldn't get it to stay lit for one reason or another, but Miss Kishin did it like it was the most natural thing in the world." Jaune answered this time.

"You all saw her do it?" Weiss asked.

"Yes, we were present when she did it." Pyrrha confirmed with a nod. "What exactly she did I can't say, but we were there when it happened."

"So, what you're saying is that if we want to find her, we just need to ask Professor Goodwitch." Nora clarified.

"Either her or the headmaster." Ruby shrugged. As soon as she finished saying that Nora was gone. "And there she goes." She muttered to herself.

"Looks like we need to go get her." Jaune said with a sigh.

"It'd be smart to stop her before she does anything… excessive." Ren said standing from the table.

With that the two males of the group left after their wayward teammate. Pyrrha looked to Ruby before standing as well. "Would you like to join us Ruby? I don't mean to lay blame, but you _are_ the one who gave her this idea."

Ruby's eyes widened before she let out a sigh. "Fine I'll help out." She agreed.

"Hey, she was just trying to help." Yang argued. "There's no reason for her to go unless she wants to."

"It's fine Yang." She said giving her sister a smile. "Pyrrha's right it's the least I can do."

Without any further argument the duo left. Once outside the cafeteria Ruby sent a smile to the other girl. "So, you want to go ahead and find her?"

"I have a few more questions I'd like to ask her." Pyrrha nodded.

"Then shall we? We won't have much time before the first class, so we might need to do this at the end of the day."

"That would be smart, but at the very least we could ask Professor Goodwitch if she's seen her." With that they went in the direction of Goodwitch's office. If they were lucky, they'd run into the rest of her team, or at least find Nora.

 _In the Dream_

 _With Kishin_

Kishin sat back in the chair she had been reading in. 'The Faunus will be a difficult adjustment.' She thought pinching the bridge of her nose. Much of her time recently had been spent reading different books and articles from Beacon's library. Mare joined her in reading from time to time. Whether it was to pass the time or just enjoy company the hunter couldn't be sure, but it was nice to have her there. 'If most Faunus have night vision then part of my "knowing" advantage is lost in the dark, but as Blake showed in the spar the other day, they can't see through low visibility environments.'

"If I may ask a question freely." Mare started from beside her.

"I've told you before, you're welcome to speak without permission. What is it?"

"If this group, the Faunus, succeeded in their revolution following the Great War, then why did they end up gaining almost nothing? If memory serves it is said that the winners write history. Why is that not the case here?" She asked in her usual blank tone.

"I'm not sure. If I read that bit correctly, then the fact that Faunus and Humans mingle together was their 'prize' for winning." Kishin answered with air quotes.

"If they had that before the revolution started in the first place then it doesn't seem like a suitable prize, but there might be something I'm missing. Emotions are said to be strong driving forces, and I don't understand most of them that well."

"It seems to be common amongst humans regardless of the world. There is always some group on the outside or on the bottom getting stepped on by the rest. Here it seems that the Faunus fit that role even after their contributions to the Great War." She finished placing her current book in a pile with the others she would need to return at some point. Most of her time in the waking world the past few days were spent either in the library or hunting at night. As per Ozpin's request there were no more forest fires, and with the realization that most the forest has cameras in it, she's had to be mindful of how she hunts. Eventually she may use some different weapons or tools, but thus far she's been limited.

Another thing she noted was the question of time passage between the dream and the waking world. From what she's seen time does pass while she's in the dream, but not a substantial amount. After spending hours in the dream at a time she'd return to find only minutes or sometimes an hour had passed. It seemed to fluctuate randomly, but had yet to pass an hour of time in the waking world. She'd never been more thankful for the fact that she didn't need sleep to continue to function.

"I should probably return these if you've read all the ones you want?"

"If it isn't too much trouble, I'd like to continue on this one." She said holding up the book in question.

"Is that the romance piece that Glynda recommended?" Kishin asked raising an eyebrow. Along with the many nonfictional books she had been reading Glynda thought it'd be a good idea to… diversify. She'd read the book of course, and it was a decent read, but when reading it her mind kept returning to Gehrman's 'How to Pick Up Fair Maidens' book. The two certainly had their similarities, but one was more… explicit… than the other.

"It is." The doll nodded.

"Very well I'll return it another time." She said picking up one of the stacks to return. 'If I remember correctly it was getting later in the afternoon when I left, so it should still be light.'

The hunter made her way over to the grave needed and knelt as best she could with an arm full of books. Mare watched from where she usually stood as the good hunter dissipated into a white mist.

When she opened her eyes, she saw the garden just as it had been when she entered. 'I've gotten lucky thus far in not being seen entering and leaving the dream.' She thought looking around. Deciding nobody saw anything they didn't need to, she nodded to herself and began walking towards the library. It was leaving the garden that she ran into two familiar faces.

"There you are!" The rose themed girl shouted before turning to the amazon. "I told you she'd probably be around here."

"I didn't doubt you. Much." Pyrrha shrugged before walking closer to the hunter. "Do you need a hand with those?"

"As long as you don't run off with them then be my guest." Kishin said. The two girls each took a few books from the stack. "I'm returning these to your library." Was all she said as she began walking again.

"While you've been off apparently reading all of our school textbooks, we've been… thinking about things." Ruby started eventually. When she didn't get an answer or objection she continued. "When I say we've been thinking I meant on our own as well as together. With that said I've got a few questions, and I believe Pyrrha does too. About hunters and everything else."

Kishin turned her head slightly back towards the pair trailing her. "Go ahead then. Like last time I promise no answers, but you can ask what you wish."

After sharing a look Ruby spoke up. "You said last time that you'd need assistance on your current contract. Does this mean that you're unable to perform the task alone?"

"I'm not sure." She admitted. "Part of the contract is figuring out the goal of it, and at this current point in time I am still working on that. Part of the reason I'm reading your 'textbooks' as you put it."

"Ah." The rosette muttered softly.

"Where have you been these last few days?" Pyrrha asked this time.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that. I'd be able to answer if you were both hunters, but as you aren't that secret remains with me."

"What's the biggest danger of becoming a hunter?" Ruby asked making the hunter stop.

"There are… two or three contenders for that, and none of them are easy to explain." She started. "I mentioned descending into beasthood in a past conversation did I not?" At the confirming nods she continued. "I can't explain that one other than falling to the temptation and losing yourself in the hunt. It is the more common end for a hunter out of the other possibilities." She said thinking of the Hunter's Nightmare.

"And the others?" Ruby inquired softly.

"The other one… simply put, is going mad." This time the Nightmare of Mensis popped into her head. "I'd say this possibility is more dangerous. At least regarding the combatting of these hunters. Beasts are more often than not creatures of instinct, and therefore predictable. Mad hunters you never really know what they're going to do." After saying this Ruby and Pyrrha both gulped.

"The last one?" Pyrrha asked hesitantly.

"… the last one isn't necessarily permanent. It can be recovered from, though it is difficult. The third danger that comes to mind is falling into despair. I mentioned already that once a contract is signed there's no quitting or backing out. The same can be said of other contracts from the past. If a hunter would continuously fail their contract and eventually give up, then they'd either stew for the rest of their time, or perhaps seek mercy from their head hunter. It is important to note that not every hunter received that option. Like my own first hunt there was no mercy until it was finished. This hunt will be much the same."

"This might be too personal, but did you ever fall into despair?"

Kishin didn't immediately answer and instead looked off into the distance. "Becoming a hunter… helped me to escape my despair." Was all she said before she started walking again.

'Becoming a hunter helped her? But she's been talking about the negatives all this time… well the why is obvious, she wants to dissuade us, but I wonder what her story is…' Ruby thought to herself.

Pyrrha was lost in her own thoughts as well, but she was also thinking about Kishin's dangers. 'The beasts she hunts weren't even mentioned. Is she that skilled or are they just not truly considered a danger?'

Kishin was admittedly on a similar train of thought, but with a slightly different direction. 'They're both smart girls, they may begin questioning parts of that explanation, but it isn't really a secret I'm willing to share yet. The fact that the contract maker doesn't know of the dream's curse of… undeath is truly a boon. The last thing I need is people going out of their way for some misplaced sense of immortality. That is something to be learned just before signing a contract. A final dealbreaker.' She mentally decided.

After they arrived in the library, they put the books in the book return and upon heading to the exit Kishin noticed a curiosity she'd had since she was first found. There at a computer terminal sat Blake Belladonna. The two behind her noticed her gaze.

"I'm sure you remember Blake." Ruby said quietly. She'd been yelled at enough to stay quiet in this place thank you very much.

"She looks unwell." Kishin observed.

Ruby just sighed at that. "She's… been worrying over stuff a lot recently. Can't really say more than that, you know how it is."

'Does it deal with Faunus somehow or is something else tearing her up?' She questioned before changing her direction. Within seconds she was directly behind the Faunus in question. Ruby and Pyrrha were watching wide-eyed as the hunter looked at the girl curiously.

"It's Blake wasn't it?" She asked making Blake jump in her seat.

The girl in question almost fell out of her chair when she turned to face the person. "Y-y-you!" She stuttered with wide eyes.

"You seem troubled." She remarked calmly, subtly glancing at the screen the girl had been so focused on.

"I'm fine." Blake replied tersely. "Just working on a school project."

"About the Faunus I see. White Fang was it?" She asked pretending to look over the page she had already seen. "I can't say I'm familiar with them."

"Most would label them terrorists, but really they're just misguided." Blake said looking back to the computer.

"Why are they labeled as terrorists?"

"In recent years they've been… more violent than when the group formed." Blake admitted.

"More violent? How?"

"Thievery, arson, lives have been lost in the fight for equality, but recently they've been… different."

"Different." Kishin echoed as she looked at the girl again. 'She almost seems to have a personal attachment… that may explain her state of denial.' Of course, she had been reading recent things as well, so she knew the general history of the White Fang from peaceful protestors to what they are today. 'Perhaps she was a member at one point? Depending on her defensiveness she could still be a member. Something to keep an eye on.'

"From different reports I've found there are instances of them seen working with humans, which is all but unheard of for that group."

"Interesting." 'A group fighting for equality between races believes that the key to gaining that equality is to only allow membership to those of their own race. Interesting indeed.' Kishin nodded before looking to see Pyrrha and Ruby still standing awkwardly to the side. "I believe I'll leave now; your friends have been waiting patiently."

Blake finally noticed her team leader and Pyrrha a few feet away watching the exchange.

"You must be tired if you're only now noticing us Blake." Ruby said looking into the girl's eyes. "If this project is physically affecting you then as your leader, I have to order you to take a break."

"You know I can't wait to finish this-" Blake started before Ruby raised a hand to stop.

"I know that when you're tired to the point of physical detriment that mentally you won't be much better, so to continue working well, you need rest." She said seriously. "After all the project isn't do tomorrow is it? You've got some time."

Blake couldn't say anything to that without admitting she lied to the hunter, so she settled for a heated glare at her leader before leaving the library.

"The troubles of leadership." Ruby muttered.

"She isn't the best liar in the first place." Kishin added.

"It… wasn't the best… what do you really know?"

"I only have my suspicions, but no proof. As such, I've decided to merely keep an eye on her. She isn't exactly a large priority for myself, so that's all I plan on doing."

"I suppose that's fair…" Ruby trailed off. She looked to Pyrrha, who knew of Blake's heritage, but not her association with the Fang. The amazon offered a polite smile and shrugged. "You know… sometimes I think knowledge can be more burden than boon." She said looking off to where Blake had been.

'You have no idea how right you are.' Kishin chuckled internally before walking towards the exit. "You both had a reason to seek me out, so let's get it over with." She said walking past them.

"Right." Pyrrha said following the hunter with Ruby trailing her.

The three were quiet again, and it was these times that Ruby understood just what Blake was talking about. There was no noise from the hunter in front of her. There were no tremors from her footfalls. She couldn't _really_ tell, but it sounded cool in her head. 'Argh stop it Ruby now isn't the time.' She thought shaking her head. Looking to the hunter again she strained herself to find any weapon, even the indent of a hidden one, but she found nothing. Absolutely nothing. 'Either she's unarmed, or that coat of hers is thicker than I imagined.' Try as she did, she couldn't get anything else from the hunter's apparel. When the hunter stopped and turned towards the two, she did make note of the bunched-up cloth around the woman's neck. 'Could be used as a mask.' She thought before realizing they'd reached their destination.

The three now stood at the edge of Beacon's cliff.

"Well then? I know you didn't seek me out for two or three mere questions, or am I wrong?" Kishin asked.

Pyrrha stepped forward slightly. "You said it in the past, indirectly of course, but you can't fulfill your current contract alone. Regardless of what anyone would prefer you'll probably have to take on students. You've kept your 'eyes' on us, but if we don't prove suitable, you'll look elsewhere correct?"

Kishin merely nodded once.

Pyrrha glanced to Ruby who was watching everything silently. "I won't speak for the both of us, but after hearing the biggest dangers of becoming a hunter I don't want to risk anyone else to a fate like that. If you see me as worthy, then I'd gladly become one of your hunters." She finished looking straight towards the hunter's eyes.

"There are many facets of becoming a hunter that are still unknown to you. Don't be rash in your decision making."

"Like I said, I'd rather do it myself than potentially risk harm to those who aren't as capable." Pyrrha responded firmly.

"I see." Kishin said evenly. After looking at the steady glow around the girl's body she turned her gaze towards the rose, her own aura was fluctuating slightly. Why that was she wasn't sure, but it was a noted difference between the two. "What was your reason for seeking me out?"

Ruby looked between the two in front of her and took a deep breath. Exhaling slowly, she straightened up and her eyes went from bright and light to steely. Her aura also visually calmed, but that wasn't something two of them could see.

"I…

 **A/N: And cliffhanger. I haven't done one of those on this story in a while. Or at all... I'm not sure off the top of my head. Anywho hello everyone. This is the newest chapter of this story, and I hope you all enjoyed it. For anyone who couldn't tell or who needs further explanation, this is loosely following canon, and is currently somewhere between the paladin fight and the dance. Blake showed us this chapter that she's still at her core completely obsessing over the White Fang, though the Yang talk obviously hasn't happened.**

 **I don't have a lot to say on this one. For those wondering about Kishin and her seeing ability or whatever some of you may think it is, I hinted at it this chapter. It isn't super creative or anything, but it is an interesting thing to think about. I'll probably explain more as we go, but it isn't going to be an immediate thing.**

 **I wonder what Ruby is going to say. Will she step to the plate like Pyrrha is planning to, or will her answer be something else?**

 **That's enough of that I suppose. Review time.**

 **A few talked about the fighting scenes from the last chapter and enjoying them. I'm glad you all liked them and I agree completely if a fight is interesting I'll probably read it, but if it is just tedious I skip em, or skim every once in a while. It's just hard to make them all interesting or as Emma said give them flash and flair. For me at least.**

 **Google translate as inaccurate as it can be has been a godsend for this story. Don't worry my, I believe, Russian friend, (How many other countries use the Russian language as their main one? This is for anyone who might know.), Kishin won't be a therapist who solves every character's problems. As amusing as it might be having the good hunter or one of the dark souls characters as a counselor that won't be happening in this story.**

 **Blackwing, your review was extremely long, well not extremely, but it was a collection of every chapter thus far. I'm glad you're enjoying it even if some of the interactions are annoying. Fighting without aura would be incredibly difficult if used to fighting with it. That's shown in people's willingness to take a hit to deliver one, Yang especially. I wonder if anyone in the future would have to learn how to fight without their aura... Ruby and Pyrrha are still young and Ruby making a contest of killing Grimm seems like something she'd enjoy. That youth also impacts Ruby's take on the killing thing. While something she may have known about, it probably isn't something she's really thought about and accepted as part of her job, her teammates and other friends probably haven't accepted it either yet. It is their first year after all. I laughed at the chapter 6 part.**

 **Yes Team's RWBY and JNPR do have little true battle experience, Pyrrha has quite a bit from her tournament stretch, but it is all formatted to tournament styles, especially with human opponents with abilities and auras like their own. Grunts of the White Fang and smaller scale Grimm are pretty different from real huntsmen or huntresses, and as RWBY found out very different from a hunter.**

 **AurelLor: I'm glad you've enjoyed it so much. As always romance is up in the air. If Kishin ends up with anyone I can't imagine it being a male, not a lot of choices ngl, but I'm not going to definitively say one thing or another.**

 **I'm working on the chapters don't worry.**

 **The Pyrrha and Ruby friendship. Alright as some of you may've seen in my other fics I like the not so common ships. Romance or friendship either way. Pyrrha and Ruby is a cool one I've seen here and there, and I won't lie I think it's cute. Whiterose and Bumblebee are the most common for friendship and romance, and I don't think anyone will argue against that. I'm not against those ships either. My self-appointed job is looking at the more oddball relationships. For example in another of my fics, that I'll be working on the chapter to after this, I've had Ruby befriend Adam of all people. It may just be me, and I'm definitely rambling at this point, but seeing the same names on just about every fic I come across is just... stale. Or if it's a Jaune centered fic just a 'no'. I've made my dislike for Jaune plainly obvious numerous times, so don't be surprised by it.**

 **Rambling aside that was pretty much it. Thanks to everyone who reviewed like always. They're usually a joy to read.**

 **As I mentioned above I'll be working on the next chapter of the morning mist story after this. I've already done my other story and this one, so just one left. I don't know why I'm trying to put them all out in quick succession, but who knows. It's definitely a one time thing though.**

 **Anyways Follow, Favorite, Review, and whatever else you all do.**

 **~Laz out.**


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